Google Maps is helping to reduce vehicle emissions through more efficient routing, the company claims.
In October 2021, Google launched a feature for Maps that allows drivers to choose a route based on estimated fuel economy. Since its launch, drivers have used the feature to prevent an estimated 1.2 million tons of carbon emissions, the equivalent of taking 250,000 cars off the road, Google claims in its latest announcement. environmental report (through precipice).
The router launched in the United States, but is now available in Canada, Egypt, and nearly 40 European countries, according to The Verge. To calculate the most efficient route, Maps takes into account factors such as predicted traffic and hills. The driver can also specify a powertrain—gasoline, diesel, hybrid, or electric.
I-5 traffic in Seattle
To estimate emissions reductions, Google compares the amount of fuel that Maps users may have burned on the routes they actually drive with an estimate of fuel consumption on the fastest possible route without the efficiency tool between the tool’s launch and December 2022. Note that if the most fuel-efficient route is also the fastest, Maps will default to that route.
Google has also sought to make electric driving easier by incorporating more features to search for charging stations. It add charging station location to Maps in 2018, but the feature was updated more recently, adding an option to sort by charging power. That helps plotting fastest route for EV drivers while the accountant stops charging.
Google Maps electric vehicle charging station function
Whether you have an electric vehicle or an internal combustion vehicle, Efficient driving is a skill in and of itself. And many companies are looking to make it easier to maximize efficiency as the auto industry transitions to electric vehicles.
EV-focused route planning services like A Better Routeplanner (recently acquired by Rivian) And toll road aims to make charging easier to understand for motorists. Stellantis in June revealed her own route planning app and toolkitpart of a new business called Free2Move Charge that will manage the charging, hardware, software and related services for the company’s electric vehicles.
