Photo: reddit user stevefromflorida697
One of the most recent new-generation features introduced in Google Maps is support for eco-friendly routes, which in theory should help the navigation app reduce the carbon footprint of every car where it’s used.
The purpose of this feature is as simple as it could be. When looking for routes to a user-defined destination, Google Maps now determines not only the fastest way to reach the address but also an eco-friendly alternative. And by eco-friendly, Google Maps means a route that would help reduce your overall fuel consumption, eventually leading to reduced emissions and a smaller carbon footprint.
To do this, Google’s app specifically looks for routes where you brake less and where the road incline is smaller. In other words, Google Maps just wants to make sure it reduces your fuel consumption because, at the end of the day, this means lower emissions, and lower emissions are good for the entire planet.
In some cases, the suggested eco-friendly suggestions could be longer than the fastest routes, but on the other hand, the final fuel consumption is still smaller.
However, as some users figured out the hard way, this new-gen feature isn’t exactly working as expected. Or at least, not all the time, as in some cases it ends up sending users on a route that’s not only longer but which also has heavy traffic, eventually increasing the fuel consumption substantially.
Most likely, it all comes down to the routing model, which apparently fails to generate a proper fuel-efficient alternative to the fastest route.
The problem doesn’t happen all the time, but on the other hand, if you want to go green, you’d better check the suggested routes every time before you start navigating. The good news is Google Maps displays both the fastest route and the eco-friendly suggestion on the same screen, so it’s easy to compare the two and figure out if there’s an error in any regard.
To do this, Google’s app specifically looks for routes where you brake less and where the road incline is smaller. In other words, Google Maps just wants to make sure it reduces your fuel consumption because, at the end of the day, this means lower emissions, and lower emissions are good for the entire planet.
In some cases, the suggested eco-friendly suggestions could be longer than the fastest routes, but on the other hand, the final fuel consumption is still smaller.
However, as some users figured out the hard way, this new-gen feature isn’t exactly working as expected. Or at least, not all the time, as in some cases it ends up sending users on a route that’s not only longer but which also has heavy traffic, eventually increasing the fuel consumption substantially.
Most likely, it all comes down to the routing model, which apparently fails to generate a proper fuel-efficient alternative to the fastest route.
The problem doesn’t happen all the time, but on the other hand, if you want to go green, you’d better check the suggested routes every time before you start navigating. The good news is Google Maps displays both the fastest route and the eco-friendly suggestion on the same screen, so it’s easy to compare the two and figure out if there’s an error in any regard.
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