Google Maps Currently striving to offer the fastest route to your destination. Although, it appears that the most energy-efficient route will be offered to drivers as well, depending on the type of vehicle they own.
This feature could allow, for example, more parked traffic in a hybrid or electric car, but would prefer to include more highway cruising if the car uses internal combustion.
This upcoming feature was discovered while unpacking a file Google Maps Application by 9to5GoogleIt will still aim to get you to your destination as quickly as possible, but with energy efficiency in mind as well.
If a more direct but crowded road gets you there as quickly as a long drive on the highway, the app might suggest electric and hybrid drivers take it, as these vehicles run better at lower speeds, and are less affected by stop-and-go traffic than internal combustion vehicles. Likewise, it makes sense for a petrol or diesel car to take the highway and avoid adding more pollution to a busy city centre.
The disassembly was done in the latest Google Maps beta update, version 11.39, and it includes what looks like preparations to bring the orientation feature into the app at a later time. The application undertakes to “save as much fuel or energy as possible” by choosing the most appropriate path.
Text in the app reads: “NEW! Get fuel-efficient routes tailored to your type of engine… Save more fuel by choosing your engine type… This information helps Maps find the route that will save you the most fuel. or energy.”
This feature comes shortly after Google launched Add a money-saving tool To take road tolls into account when constructing a route.
As always with finds like this, we can’t say with absolute certainty that the feature will be rolling out to all Google Maps users. But its inclusion in the current beta indicates that development is in full swing, and all is well and should hit the app later this year.
