The New Google Maps Feature That Can Help You Save Money and the Planet

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Google Maps can help you figure out the best way to get to where you are going. You can see which is the fastest way to get from point A to point B, and when is the best time to leave on your journey.

Last week, Google announced that Google Maps has added a new way to figure out the “best way” of getting to where you need to go: eco-friendly routing. With eco-friendly routing, Google Maps can show you the most fuel-efficient route to get to your destination.

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About Google Maps Eco-Friendly Routing

Google Maps shows the eco-friendly route with a green leaf so you can easily see which route is the most fuel-efficient.

Google Maps shows you how long each route takes, so you may see that the fastest route only saves you a minute or two over the eco-friendly route. You may decide that the eco-friendly route is worth taking to save fuel and reduce your carbon footprint.

Tap the eco-friendly route and Google Maps will show how much fuel you would save by taking this route.

The eco-friendly route may be the same as the fastest route, in which case you wouldn’t have to weigh which option to take. If there isn’t a route available that significantly reduces fuel consumption, Google Maps won’t show an eco-friendly route.

Google Maps notes that it “shows the most fuel-efficient route when it has roughly the same arrival time as the fastest route. In cases where fuel savings are too small or increase driving time significantly, Maps shows relative fuel savings between routes to help you compare.”

Or you may decide that the fastest route is what you want to take. The choice is yours and now your choice has become more informed.

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The Development of Google Maps Eco-Friendly Routing

In its announcement of eco-friendly routing last week, Google explained, “Vehicles on the road account for over 75% of transportation CO2 emissions and are one of the largest contributors of greenhouse gasses worldwide, according to the International Energy Agency. We estimate that eco-friendly routing has the potential to prevent over one million tons of carbon emissions per year — that’s the equivalent of removing over 200,000 cars from the road.”

Google Maps get data to calculate eco-friendly routes from AI (artificial intelligence) and the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Jeff Gonder, Group Manager: Mobility, Behavior and Advanced Powertrains at the Center for Integrated Mobility Sciences at NREL,  said, “Not only does Google Maps’ eco-friendly routing bring NREL’s fuel-efficient technology from the lab to the road, but it has huge potential to significantly lower emissions and save drivers money on gas — something that’s good for both people and the planet.”

Saving Your Google Maps Route Preferences

You may find that you choose eco-friendly routes frequently, so you may want to save that as your preferred routing in Preferences. Or you may want to save the fastest route as your preference.

To set your preference in Google Maps on Android:

1. On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Maps app .
2. Search for your destination or tap it on the map.
3. At the bottom left, tap Directions .
4. At the top, tap Driving .
5. In the top right, tap More   Route options.
6. Tap Prefer fuel-efficient routes  Done.

To set your Google Maps routing preference on iOS (iPhone and iPad):

1. On your iPhone or iPad, open the Google Maps app .
2. Search for your destination or tap it on the map.
3. At the bottom left, tap Directions .
4. At the top, tap Driving .
5. In the top right, tap More   Route options.
6. Tap Prefer fuel-efficient routes  Done.

How Eco-Friendly Routing Is Calculated

As mentioned above, Google Maps works with NREL to calculate the most eco-friendly routes that reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Fuel savings are based on gasoline- or diesel-fueled vehicles.

To determine the most eco-friendly routes, Google Maps considers these factors:

• Average fuel consumption for vehicles in your region
• Steepness of hills on your route
• Stop-and-go traffic patterns
• Types of roads (such as local roads or highways)

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Availability of Eco-Friendly Routes in Google Maps

In last week’s announcement, Google said that eco-friendly routes will be rolling out in the Google Maps app for Android and iOS in the U.S. The company plans to expand eco-friendly routes to “Europe and beyond” in 2022.

Your Thoughts

Do you like the idea of saving money and CO2 emissions with eco-friendly routing? Would you choose the eco-friendly route if it were a few minutes longer than the fastest route? Do you have access to this new feature in Google Maps?

Share your thoughts in the Comments section below!