Google Maps introduces special feature

Author: unno, posted October 6, 2021 to 13:53 – Reply

Everyone navigates, we often use Google Maps for that. And it now comes with a special feature.

Of course we do a lot of navigating in the car. But more and more people are also using it for cycling. Hence, it now comes with a handy feature for that. Google Maps has had cycling directions for years, but no dedicated navigation mode for those who like to travel from place to place on two wheels. That will change in the coming months with the introduction of a feature called lite navigation.

Google Maps with special function for cyclists

With the step-by-step functionality that Maps is known for, this tool allows you to view important details about your current journey. Without having to keep the screen of your phone on. You also don’t need to enter the full step-by-step interface to use the feature. At a glance you can also see your current arrival time and any height differences.

Cycling is of course healthy, but also good for the environment. Because then you leave your car more. The company announced the introduction of lite navigation as part of a wider sustainability effort. So as you might imagine, this isn’t the only bike related announcement the company had. It also said that information related to bike and scooter sharing is available in 300 cities worldwide.

Environmentally friendly

The company is also coming up with environmentally friendly car routing for the car. It is now available in America. With today’s rollout, Maps will show the most fuel-efficient route you can take to a destination, alongside the fastest route as always. The tool also displays your relative fuel savings if you decide to go the more efficient route. Google estimates the feature could help prevent as much as 1 million tons of carbon emissions from entering the atmosphere. That’s about the equivalent of taking 200,000 cars off the road.

The company expects to roll out eco-friendly routing to European countries sometime in 2022.