Google Maps: a leap towards ecology?
As you are no doubt aware, the market for electric vehicle is constantly evolving. More and more people are opting for cars that pollute less when they travel. In the first half of 2022, for example, sales of electric cars rose by 28% .
Unfortunately, not everyone can afford an electric car, but you can still make a difference to the climate.
For some time now, Google Maps in France has been offering the option of choosing more environmentally-friendly routes. What does it involve? You enter your point of departure and your point of arrival, and when you choose a route, one of them will be marked with a small leaf. Your Google Maps route will then be calculated so as to consume as little fuel as possible. In these calculations, Google Maps takes into account red lights, ascents and descents you may encounter, as well as average speeds. All this thanks to artificial intelligence that takes into account data from Google Maps, as well as from the European Environment Agency.
Save with Google Maps route planner
Not only are you doing good for the planet, you're also doing good for yourself. Choosing a more fuel-efficient route will certainly add a few minutes to your journey. However, you'll spend less on fuel, and with the current situation, with prices at petrol stations constantly fluctuating, savings on petrol are well worth taking. What's more, it's also possible that these Google Maps itineraries will help you avoid tolls - it's all worth it!
For the time being, this feature is still to be improved for the French Google Maps, given that the option was added only recently. Eventually, you'll be able to enter what type of vehicle you drive and its year, and you'll also be able to choose your fuel type. In the case of diesel cars, the AI will direct you towards roads such as freeways or trunk roads - as you may know, diesels are more fuel-efficient when driven fast. For electric cars like Tesla electricthe saving is made on journeys where you drive slower.
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Results from Google Maps
Google Canada estimates that the routes proposed by Google Maps could have the potential to limit global carbon emissions by one million tonnesevery year. This corresponds to taking 200,000 cars off the road. It's a huge leap forward for the environment, simply by extending our commute time by a few minutes.
Namely, based on data collected by Google Maps, it is estimated that around 500,000 tonnes of CO2 have been saved since the launch of these green routes in Canada and the United States, as well as in Europe, in Germany.
We know that, on average, private cars account for 16% of greenhouse gases. With Google Maps' more eco-friendly, fuel-saving routes, we estimate a minimum fuel saving of 2%, but this can rise to as much as 15%, which is no mean feat.
