Google Maps gets Indoor Live View, eco-friendly routes and more features

Indoor Live View on Google Maps is currently live on Android and iOS in many malls in Chicago, Long Island, Los Angeles, Newark, San Francisco, San Jose, and Seattle. It will soon be available in select airports, malls, and transit stations in cities around the world including Tokyo and Zurich.

Google has announced a host of new artificial intelligence-powered features that will be coming to Maps this year, making navigation easier and accurate.

In the coming months, Google Maps users will be able to use the Live View feature for navigating the trickiest indoor places like airports, transit stations and malls. Arrows and accompanying directions in the Live View will help you find the nearest elevator and escalators, platform, baggage claim, check-in counters, ticket office, restrooms, ATMs etc. when catching a plane or train.

Indoor Live View on Google Maps is currently live on Android and iOS in many malls in Chicago, Long Island, Los Angeles, Newark, San Francisco, San Jose, and Seattle. It will soon be available in select airports, malls, and transit stations in cities around the world including Tokyo and Zurich.

Another feature is the new weather layer that leverages data from partners including The Weather Company, AirNow.gov and the Central Pollution Board and shows current and forecasted temperature and weather conditions in an area. In addition, the new air quality layer shows you how healthy or unhealthy the air quality is.

In the coming months, the weather layer will be available globally while the air quality layer will launch in Australia, India, and the U.S., and gradually expand to more countries.

Further, Google Maps is bringing more eco-friendly routing options that optimize for lower fuel consumption based on factors like road incline and traffic congestion. Later his year, Google Maps will default to the route with the lowest carbon footprint. If the eco-friendly route increases ETA, users will have the option to compare the relative CO2 impact between routes.

Initially, Eco-friendly routes on Google Maps will be available in the U.S. on Android and iOS and later expand globally.

Image Credit: Google

Apart from these features, Low emission zone alerts for areas that restrict polluting vehicles like certain diesel cars or cars with specific emissions stickers will be launching this June in Germany, the Netherlands, France, Spain, and the UK on Android and iOS. This feature will let you know if your vehicle is allowed in the specific area, choose an alternative mode of transportation, or take another route.

Other upcoming features include:

• new directions experience to compare different routes and modes of transportation
• shopping information to Business Profiles to check out helpful information about grocery delivery providers, pickup and delivery windows, fees, and order minimums