At Google I/O 2021 announced many new features for the Google Maps app, which will now choose routes in order to make us emit less CO2.
Less pollution, thanks to the navigator: this is the idea behind the new ecological route of Google Maps. The app will in fact be able to choose the best route not only according to the criteria used so far, but also those purely "green", limiting CO2 emissions harmful to the planet.
As is happening in recent hours, the announcement was made by those directly involved during the Google I/O event during which Android 12 beta was also presented. During the event that began yesterday, many of the most interesting and expected news that boil in the pot of Big G will be presented, including one that sees the turn in favor of the environment of the popular navigation service of Mountain View. This is a huge step forward, in just a few years, and a further attempt to make complete one of the top apps among those offered for free by the giant of the tech sector.
Google Maps green, what is the feature
As anticipated last March and confirmed in the day just passed, Maps will be able to evaluate and select for the driver the most suitable road in view of "green" to travel to reach the destination. Although the process, once integrated, will mainly - and automatically - aim at decreasing CO2 emissions, the analysis carried out by the system will also contribute other factors that usually play a key role, first of all the travel time.
Google emphasizes the process of evaluation of roads by Maps that, in any case, will not penalize the user: "Soon Google Maps will use by default the route with the lowest carbon footprint when it has approximately the same estimated time of arrival (ETA) as the fastest one. In cases where the green route significantly increases your ETA, we'll allow you to compare the relative CO2 impact so that you can choose."
Among Google's plans there would also be a project that, in the near future, should see the light of day accompanying the one dedicated to environmental protection. It's called "Safer routing" and consists of a feature that allows the application to examine the safest route (hence the name) according to the current weather conditions, traffic and other elements that could contribute to the level of risk.
Green and Safe Routes, when will they arrive on Maps
Despite the presentation and the enthusiasm shown for the initiative, Big G has not provided a timeline for the release of the ecology-conscious feature and what areas, if any, will be involved in the project; the same goes for Safe Routes, still being studied by the Google Maps team.