V.sustainable travel. It sounds like a slogan and it isn’t. Today with Google Mapsin addition to being able to choose the fastest route, the toll-free one, the best route based on the traffic you can opt for eco-sustainable paths, which Google has begun to roll out in 40 European countries, including Italy. The new function allows you to choose an optimized route to reduce fuel consumption, with a double advantage: save on fuel and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
How the new Google Maps feature works
The new Google Maps function will also calculate the relative in real time fuel economy and the time difference between the two routes. To consider all the variables it will be necessary to indicate the model, displacement and type of fuel of your vehicle because it is the route with the lowest consumption it will vary according to the type of engine. To do all this, Google Maps has equipped itself with advanced machine learning trained on the most popular types of engines in a given region.
The company says that since its launch in the United States and Canada, the new feature is estimated to have helped save more than half a million tons of carbon dioxide emissionswhich is equivalent to taking 100,000 cars off the road.
Give preference to two wheels
Often the most sustainable choice does not involve the use of the car at all and Google Maps can also help you find alternative ways to get around. “We recently announced more information on cycle routes – the company says -, including a more detailed breakdown of the route and data on the possibility of encountering heavy car traffic, stairs or steep climbs along the way. Furthermore, you can find bike and scooter sharing stations nearby in over 500 cities around the world, including Rome, Milan and other Italian cities ». Google Maps has always offered the option of walking and using public transport.
Sustainability at the center of the interests of Italians
The need to choose more sustainable options is increasingly felt by Italians. In July 2022, in Italy, people increased their use of public transport (55%), walking routes (33%) and i cycling routes (25%) on Google Maps compared to July of the previous year.
The use of electric vehicles: There was an almost 130% increase in searches for electric vehicle charging stations from last July to this July.
The need for sustainability is also reflected in the search for hiking and natural areas which in Italy has grown by over 200% from last July to this July. Searches for parks and vintage stores also grew by over 130% and over 160%, respectively.
The use of the bike sharing in Italian cities and, although Milan has about half the population of Rome, the number of users of the Google Maps bikeshare is roughly the same in each of the two cities.
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