After introducing eco-friendly routes for US-based users last year, Google is now expanding the same service to 40 more countries. This will give drivers an additional option to choose between the fastest and most fuel-efficient route and help them lower carbon emissions and opt for greener choices when getting from point A to point B.
In addition to expanding eco-friendly routes, Google is also launching a new feature for car owners. They can use it to select their vehicle’s engine type (petrol or gas, diesel, hybrid or electric vehicle for navigation) to get personalized suggestions on the most suitable fuel-efficient routes for the engine.
The company believes its eco-friendly navigation feature 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.
To use eco-friendly routing you simply need to open the Google Maps app on your mobile device, tap the Profile picture or initial Account Circle, and select the Settings option. Then, go to Navigation settings, scroll to Route options and toggle eco-friendly routing. You"ll see a green label (leaf-shaped icon) indicating the selection of an eco-friendly route. Similarly, you can choose your engine type by tapping Engine type and selecting the desired option.
The new eco-friendly navigation feature will show the fastest route and the one that’s most fuel-efficient. Users can choose whichever one works best for them. Eco-friendly routing options will be available for 40 countries in Europe, including France, Ireland, Poland, Spain, and the UK. It was already introduced in Germany last month.