Google Maps will change your default route in its iPhone and Android app. Google Maps will place the least polluting route to our destination by default, a change that was already announced in March of this year but that will arrive in Europe in 2022. Of course, we can always choose another type of route by default from the settings of the iOS app.
The greenest route to your destination on Google Maps
After announcing the dark mode of Google Maps on the iPhone relatively recently, the search engine has announced a new major change. When we enter a destination we want to reach, Google Maps offers two or three possible routes. By default, the fastest is shown, which is also highlighted in blue above the rest. With this change, Google will prioritize the least polluting route about the alternatives.
The calculation is done with algorithms developed by Google itselfas well as with the help of the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Some of the factors used to determine this greener route are:
- Less time, which usually implies less consumption.
- Traffic lights on the road, which force you to stop and start.
- Slope of the path.
A faster route does not imply that you consume less if you climb many slopes along the way and we frequently stop at traffic lights or traffic jams. Google has given an example of a 14-minute ecological route with a more stable speed compared to other 13-minute routes with worse consumption. In general, the greenest routes will coincide a lot with the faster ones, although not always.
The choice of the default route can be changed from the app settings. Google estimates that one million tons of CO2 will be removed per year, the equivalent of using more than 200,000 cars.