Google Maps will provide drivers with sustainable route options

Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc, announced on Tuesday a new feature that will appear in the Google Maps mapping service this year. The service will begin to guide drivers along routes estimated to generate the lowest carbon emissions based on traffic, inclines, and other factors.

Google said the feature will launch later this year, initially in the US, but will eventually expand to other countries as part of its initiatives to tackle climate change through its services.

Unless users opt-out, the default route will be considered “green” if comparable options take roughly the same travel time. If the alternatives are expected to run significantly faster, Google will choose and allow users to compare the estimated emissions.

“What we’re seeing is that greener options can be found for about half of the routes with little or no time delays,” Russell Dicker, Google’s chief product officer, told reporters Monday.

The company said it obtains relative emissions estimates by testing various types of vehicles and roads based on data from the US Government’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Grade data comes from its Street View vehicles, as well as aerial and satellite imagery.

Google also noted that from June, the service would begin warning drivers about travel through low-emission regions, including Germany, France, the Netherlands, Spain, and the United Kingdom, where certain vehicles are restricted.