Google Maps is launching an eco-friendly routing feature in the UK: the tool will highlight fuel-efficient roads with fewer hills and less traffic to help drivers save money on petrol and reduce emissions
- Drivers can see estimated fuel savings and time differences between routes
- The most fuel efficient route varies by engine type
- The tool helped reduce 500,000 tons of CO2 emissions in the US and Canada
Google Maps is introducing a new fuel-efficient route feature for UK drivers
Google Maps is introducing a new Fuel Efficient Route feature for UK drivers – and for drivers in nearly 40 countries in Europe – to help them save fuel and reduce carbon emissions.
Now Google Maps shows not only the fastest route, but also the most economical, if not also the fastest.
With just a few clicks, they can see the relative estimated fuel savings and time difference between the two routes and choose the one that suits them best.
Routes with fewer gradients, less traffic and constant speeds are the most economical.
If the driver always wants the fastest suggested route, he can specify this in the settings.
Google Maps said fuel-efficient routing is “making an impact around the world”.
With the Eco-Route feature, drivers can see the relative estimated fuel savings and the time difference between routes and choose the one that suits them best
Routes with fewer gradients, less traffic and constant speeds are the most economical
It revealed: “Since launch in the US and Canada, it is estimated to have already helped eliminate more than half a million tons of carbon emissions – the equivalent of taking 100,000 fuel-based cars off the road.”
It added: “The most fuel-efficient route depends on what type of engine you have. For example, diesel engines are typically more efficient than petrol or gas engines at higher speeds, while hybrid and electric vehicles perform better in stop-and-go traffic.
“So over the coming weeks we will be allowing drivers in the UK (along with Europe, the US and Canada) to use this feature to choose their engine type – petrol or gas, diesel, hybrid or electric vehicle (EV) – to enable them to drive best route and most accurate fuel or energy efficiency estimates.”
The most fuel-efficient route varies by engine type (left). Google said: “Since launch in the US and Canada [the eco-route feature] is estimated to have already helped avoid more than half a million tonnes of CO2 emissions – the equivalent of taking 100,000 fuel-powered cars off the road.
Google Maps revealed that the engine type feature was made possible thanks to insights from the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and data from the European Environment Agency.
Good Maps explained, “By combining this information with driving trends from Google Maps, we were able to develop advanced machine learning models that were trained on the most popular engine types in a given region.”
Google revealed that searches for “how to save gas while driving” were up 140 percent in the UK in 2022, with searches for “stop start saves fuel” in the UK up 70 percent over the past 90 days.
Google is also helping users achieve a greener lifestyle with a search function for “EV charging stations” and more helpful bike route information, including whether cyclists will encounter heavy traffic, stairs or steep hills along the way.
It also highlights whether hotels have eco-certified badges to help users “sleep more sustainably”.
