Google Maps is rolling out eco-friendly driving routes across nearly 40 European countries.
For those times when walking, cycling, or taking public transit isn't an option, motorists can follow a different itinerary optimized for lower fuel consumption. By doing so they should save money while also limiting their carbon emissions.
"In addition to showing the fastest route, Google Maps will also display the one that's most fuel efficient, if it doesn't happen to also be the fastest," Rubén Lozano-Aguilera, product manager for Google Maps, wrote in a blog announcement. "With just a few taps, you can see the relative fuel savings and time difference between the two routes and choose the one that works best for you."
Fuel efficiency varies based on your car and engine type, which also needs to be taken into account for this new route-planning option. So, "in the coming weeks," Google will also allow drivers using eco-friendly routing in North America and Europe to select their engine type—petrol/gas, diesel, hybrid or EV—to get the best route and most accurate fuel or energy efficiency estimates.
Following the introduction of eco-friendly routing in the US, Canada, and Germany, Google Maps estimates it helped remove more than half a million metric tons of carbon emissions—"equivalent to taking 100,000 fuel-based cars off the road," according to Lozano-Aguilera.
Often, the most sustainable choice doesn't involve a car at all: Google Maps recently introduced more information for cyclists, including a detailed breakdown of important details like whether they'll encounter heavy car traffic, stairs, or steep hills along the route. Google also offers carbon emissions information for its online flight and accommodation booking services, and features a map of nearby EV charging stations.