Whether you’re driving around in your car or biking to and from work or renting bikes and scooters from providers, you will now have more sustainable options from Google Maps. The navigation app has announced 3 new ways that you can use it to make more eco-friendly decisions when choosing your routes and also bringing more useful information if you chose to use more eco-friendly vehicles like bikes and scooters. This comes as the International Energy Agency says that vehicles on the road actually account for more than 75% of transportation CO2 emissions.
Google Maps actually announced earlier this year that they will be rolling out eco-friendly route options and now that day is here for users in the U.S. This way, you have the option to choose between the fastest route and the most fuel-efficient, although the latter may not be the fastest as well. You’ll be able to see the fuel savings that you can make with either route as well as the ETA difference. You can also adjust the preferences for either kind of route in the settings.
For those who are using bikes to get around their home and work or just for leisure over the weekend, you’ll be getting lite navigation soon. You’ll be able to see the important details of your route without having to keep your screen on. You can see your trip progress, updated ETA, and even the elevation of your route before you start or in the middle of your bike ride. Google says bikers prefer not have have turn-by-turn navigation since their phones have to be tucked away anyway for safety reasons.
Google Maps is also expanding bike and scooter share information to more than 300 cities. You will be able to find the nearest stations to your current location, how many vehicles are available for rent, and look for a place to park your main vehicle before going to the station to transfer rides. This information is courtesy of micro mobility partners like Donkey Republic, Tier, and Voi in Europe and US-based companies like Bird and Spin.
Google Maps’ eco-friendly routing is now rolling out to users in the U.S. Lite navigation is rolling out in the coming months to places where cycling navigation is available. Bike and scooter information is available in places like Berlin, New York, São Paulo and Taipei.
