Google Maps' Eco Route Feature Helped Drivers Drastically Cut Tailpipe Emissions

For many of us—maybe even most of us—Google Maps is the go-to solution when we need to get from point A to point B, and certainly when we need to get to some weird point Q we've never seen before. In 2021, the tech giant instituted a new feature to guide users along the most environmentally friendly routes possible. Today, Google estimates that has saved a total of 1.2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

In its latest environmental report, Google says that the total emissions saved from the eco-routing feature are equivalent to the annual emissions from 250,000 ICE-powered cars. This checks out with EPA figures, which suggest that the average passenger motor vehicle emits about 4.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year. Those savings are thanks to Google Maps users choosing to take the most emissions-friendly route, rather than the fastest one, where available.

The eco-routing tool was first launched in the U.S. and has since been rolled out to Canada, Egypt, and a total of 40 European countries. The routes are generated using machine learning tools, which identify routes that use the least fuel, thus minimizing emissions. It achieves this by avoiding hills and heavy traffic and aiming for travel at more constant speeds.