Eco-friendly routing in Google Maps now rolling out across Europe

Starting today, eco-friendly routing in Google Maps is rolling out in nearly 40 countries across Europe. Eco-friendly routing allows you to pick a route that's optimized for lower fuel consumption, helping you save money on fuel and reduce carbon emissions.

Eco-friendly routing was recently rolled out in Germany. With this feature, Google Maps will show you both the fastest route and the one that's most fuel-efficient - you can choose whichever works best for you. The more fuel-efficient the route, the lower the fuel consumption and carbon emissions.

"All this is part of our commitment to empowering 1 billion people through Google products by the end of the year - by making the sustainable choice an easier choice," the tech giant wrote in a post on Wednesday.

Google estimates that eco-friendly routing has helped remove more than half a million metric tons of carbon emissions - equivalent to taking 100,000 fuel-based cars off the road - since its launch in the United States and Canada.

Based on what type of engine you have, the most fuel-efficient route will vary. For example, diesel engines are usually more efficient at higher speeds than petrol or gas engines, while hybrid and electric vehicles perform better in stop-and-go traffic.

To further optimize route guidance, in the coming weeks, drivers using eco-friendly routing in Europe, the U.S. and Canada will be able to select their car/engine type - petrol or gas, diesel, hybrid or electric vehicle (EV) - to get the best route and most accurate fuel or energy efficiency estimates. You can change your engine type at any time in the navigation settings or route options.

By pairing insights from the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and data from the European Environment Agency with Maps driving trends, Google has developed advanced machine learning models trained on the most popular engine types in a given region.