If you don’t drive an electric car, the possibilities of reducing your fuel bills are reduced – driving with an egg under your right foot, limiting your movements, etc.
Here is another way to reduce your fuel bill a little, that of better managing your trips using your smartphone which will determine the optimal route between your points A and B.
Google today announces a new feature to its Maps app, that of encouraging ecological or more economical routes in our transport by car which, according to the American giant, represents 18% of global CO2 emissions.2.
The eco-route feature is now available across the country on Google Maps on Android and iOS devices. Using artificial intelligence, the app analyzes carbon emissions based on the chosen route.
Example of Google Maps with the most energy-efficient travel time
Check your settings
Maps considers factors like traffic and road incline to suggest a route that’s both environmentally friendly and economical. The app shows the potential savings and the difference in arrival time between each journey.
To check if this eco-friendly routes feature is activated in your app, launch Maps and tap > profile picture > Settings > Settings (iOS) or Navigation settings (Android) > Prefer energy-efficient routes.
On its help page, Google states that this setting only applies to petrol and diesel vehicles.
Another example with a trip to the United States
Factors considered
To calculate fuel savings, Google Maps uses information from the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory. This calculation takes into account factors that affect fuel consumption and CO emissions2including the following:
- Average fuel consumption of vehicles in your area
- Inclination of slopes on your route
- Accordion traffic
- Types of roads (secondary or freeways, for example)
“If fuel savings are too low or significantly increase travel time, Maps shows them for each possible route to help you compare them,” Google says.
Read also : Canadian cities, including Montreal, benefit from a 3D view, improved navigation and immersive routes
Site of trends analyzed by Google on the search for electric cars in the country. Here is a 90 day chart. Over five years, that same search has increased by 75%.
Trend of searches for electric vehicles on the Google search engine, here over 90 days.