Google Maps To Start Directing Drivers To "Eco-Friendly" Routes

Google, an Alphabet Inc unit, said the feature would launch later this year in the US and eventually reach other countries as part of its commitment to help combat climate change through its services.

Google's Maps app will start directing drivers along routes estimated to generate the lowest carbon emissions based on traffic, slopes and other factors, the company announced on Tuesday. Google, an Alphabet Inc unit, said the feature would launch later this year in the US and eventually reach other countries as part of its commitment to help combat climate change through its services. Unless users opt out, the default route will be the "eco-friendly" one if comparable options take about the same time, Google said. When alternatives are significantly faster, Google will offer choices and let users compare estimated emissions. "What we are seeing is for around half of routes, we are able to find an option more eco-friendly with minimal or no time-cost tradeoff," Russell Dicker, a director of product at Google, told reporters on Monday.