Google Maps to start directing drivers to 'eco-friendly' routes

Google has confirmed the feature will roll out in the UAE, but has not shared a date

Google's Maps app will start directing drivers along routes estimated to generate the lowest carbon emissions based on traffic, slopes and other factors. Unsplash 

The Google Maps app will start directing drivers along routes estimated to generate the lowest carbon emissions based on traffic, slopes and other factors, the company announced on Tuesday.

Google, an Alphabet Inc unit, said the feature would launch later this year in the United States and eventually reach other countries as part of its commitment to help combat climate change through its services.

A representative for Google in the UAE confirmed that feature will be rolled out globally and come to the Emirates. However, they could not share an exact date for the regional roll-out.

Unless users opt out, the default route will be the "eco-friendly" one if comparable options take about the same time, Google said. When alternatives are significantly faster, Google will offer choices and let users compare estimated emissions.

"What we are seeing is for around half of routes, we are able to find an option more eco-friendly with minimal or no time-cost tradeoff," Russell Dicker, a director of product at Google, said on Monday.

Google said it derives relative estimates of emissions by testing across different types of vehicles and road types, drawing on insights from the US government's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Road grade data comes from its Street View cars, as well as aerial and satellite imagery.

NREL mobility group manager Jeff Gonder said the lab, which developed a tool known as RouteE to estimate vehicles' energy usage, reached a deal in March to get funding from Google and study the accuracy of its estimates.

The potential effect on emissions from the feature is unclear. A study of 20 people at California State University, Long Beach, in 2020 found participants were more inclined to consider carbon emissions in route selection after testing an app that showed estimates.

Google's announcement included additional climate-focused changes. From June, it will start warning drivers about to travel through low emissions zones where some vehicles are restricted in Germany, France, the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom.

In the coming months, Google Maps users will be able to compare car, biking, public transit and other travel options in one place instead of toggling between different sections.