www.rancakmedia.com – The Google Maps app will begin directing drivers along the route that is expected to produce the lowest carbon emissions based on traffic, slopes and other factors, the company announced on Tuesday. Google, a unit of Alphabet Inc, said the feature will roll out later this year in the US and eventually reach other countries as part of its commitment to help fight climate change through its services.
Unless the user opts out, the default route will be “eco-friendly” if a comparable option takes about the same time, Google said. When alternatives are much faster, Google will offer options and let users compare emissions estimates.
“What we’re seeing is about halfway through the route, we can find more eco-friendly options with minimal or no time sacrifice,” Russell Dicker, director of product at Google, told reporters Monday.
Google said it obtained relative emissions estimates by testing on a variety of vehicle types and road types, leveraging insights from the US government’s National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL). Street-level data comes from Street View cars as well as aerial and satellite imagery.
The potential emission effects of the feature are unclear. But in a study of 20 people at California State University, Long Beach, university researchers last year found that participants were more likely to consider carbon emissions in route selection after testing an app that showed estimates.
Google’s announcement includes additional climate-focused changes. Starting in June, it will begin warning drivers about traveling through low emission zones where some vehicles are banned in Germany, France, the Netherlands, Spain and the UK.
In the coming months, Google Maps app users will be able to compare car, cycling, public transit and other travel options in one place instead of switching between different sections.
