This new feature is called eco-friendly routing. (Representative pic)
Google Maps is the de-facto navigation app for most people and it continues to evolve and add new features to make the app more enjoyable and user-friendly. Now, the search engine has introduced a new update to help commuters save more fuel. This latest feature is currently available across select countries and it is soon expected to be launched for Indian users too. It will help commuters pick alternative eco-friendly routes to help lower their car's fuel/energy usage and CO2 emissions.
This feature is called eco-friendly routing and it works by showing fuel or energy-efficiency estimates on some routes based on the vehicle's engine type. Once this feature is turned on, Google Maps will show the fastest route, along with the most energy-efficient one, even if they aren't the same. However, if you choose to disable this feature, Google Maps will only recommend the fastest route, ignoring the fuel/energy-efficient option.
"The Google Maps app shows fuel or energy-efficiency estimates on some routes based on your vehicle's engine type. The more fuel or energy-efficient the route, the lower your car's fuel/energy usage and CO2 emissions," a press note read.
Google explained that fuel-efficient routing uses artificial intelligence (AI) to suggest routes that have fewer hills, less traffic and constant speeds with the same or similar ETA. In India, the new update will also include fuel-efficient routes for two-wheelers in a bid to help even more people travel more sustainably.
How to activate fuel-efficient routes
Activating this latest feature is easy. If the update is available at the location of the user, one has to open the Google Maps app, tap on the profile picture or initial, go to settings, and tap on Navigation settings. Then scroll to 'Route options', tap "Prefer fuel-efficient routes" to turn on eco-friendly routing. Then select your engine type, tap 'Engine Type' and choose accordingly.
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If you have a vehicle that has an internal combustion engine, choose between gas (petrol) or diesel. If you have a hybrid car, choose hybrid, or if you have an electric vehicle, choose electric. If you skip this step, the app will pick petrol as the default engine and offer alternative fuel-efficient routes.
"The most fuel-efficient route suggestion could be different based on the engine type. For example, diesel vehicles' relative fuel economy advantage is generally greatest in highway driving. Hybrid and electric vehicles tend to provide progressively greater efficiency in stop-and-go city driving and hilly driving environments where they can extensively use and benefit from regenerative braking," Google explained.