Empowering individuals

In addition to showing the fastest route, Google Maps will also display the one that’s most fuel or energy efficient, if it doesn’t happen to also be the fastest. With just a few taps, you can see the relative fuel or energy savings and time difference between the two routes and choose the one that works best for you. Fuel-efficient routing uses AI to suggest routes that have fewer hills, less traffic, and constant speeds with the same or similar ETA.

The most efficient route varies based on what type of engine you have. 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.

That’s why drivers can now select their engine type, too—gas/petrol, diesel, hybrid, or electric—in order to get the best route and most accurate fuel or energy efficiency estimates.

This technology is made possible thanks to insights from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and data from the European Environment Agency. By pairing this information with Google Maps driving trends, we developed advanced machine learning models trained on the most popular engine types in a given region. In 2023, we started rolling out fuel-efficient routing to India and Indonesia, adding to our existing coverage in the United States, Canada, Egypt, and nearly 40 European countries. And, in India and Indonesia, we’re including fuel-efficient routes for two-wheelers to help even more people travel more sustainably.

Cities around the world have established low emission zones—areas that restrict polluting vehicles like certain diesel cars or cars with specific emissions stickers—to help keep the air clean.

To support these efforts, alerts can help drivers better understand when they’ll be navigating through one of these zones in select markets. You can quickly know if your vehicle is allowed in the area, choose an alternative mode of transportation, or take another route.

Find bike and e-scooter sharing docking stations from partners on Google Maps in over 400 cities, including live updates on available bikes/docks.

From Google Maps, you can find nearby stations and even pinpoint how many vehicles are available at that moment in places like Berlin, New York, São Paulo, and Taipei. And when you’re done with your ride, you can make sure there’s a place to park before heading over to the station. This expansion is made possible thanks to our micro-mobility partners.

Navigate public transport with ease. By tapping on the transit icon in Directions, you get directions to your destination by bus, train, subway, and even ferry. When available, you can see real-time arrival and departure times, transfers, and service delays. And Google Maps gives you all the information you need to be prepared, like how crowded your ride will be, what the temperature is like, and if there are wheelchair-accessible routes available.

Finding EV charging stations has never been easier. Available on both Google Maps and Waze, search “EV charging” and you’ll see the number of available docks, in real time where data is available.¹

You can also filter for “fast charge” or in a growing number of countries for “your plugs” to only see stations with plugs that are compatible with your car.

See live ETAs and where to make your next turn, without unlocking your phone or using the comprehensive navigation mode.

And with recent UI updates, cyclists can find the best option for them, including routes that are the fastest, shortest, include the most bike lanes, or have the fewest hills.

To help make cycling easier for more people, we’ve been working with local governments to ensure Google Maps shows up-to-date cycling routes.

For example, in 2023, we added over 30,000 kilometers (18,000 miles) of bike lanes to Google Maps. Thanks to insights from partner organizations, we’ve been able to prioritize cycling on safer, quieter roads, and these updates are now available to cities around the world.

We’re also using new coloring on bike routes that show where bike lanes are, so you know what to expect at a glance.

When you search for hotels on Google, you’ll see information about their sustainability efforts. Hotels that are certified for meeting high standards of sustainability from certain independent organizations, like Green Key or EarthCheck, will have an eco-certified badge next to their name.

Want to dive into a hotel’s specific sustainability practices? You can learn more about their efforts on Google’s hotel search—from waste reduction efforts and sustainably sourced materials to energy efficiency and water conservation measures.

We’re working with hotels around the world, including independent hotels and chains such as Hilton and Accor, to gather this information and make it easily accessible. If you’re a hotel owner with eco-certifications or sustainability practices you want to share with travelers, simply sign in to Google My Business to add the attributes to your Business Profile or contact Google My Business support.

To help with the clean energy transition, we’re working to provide more information about sustainable options for home energy. Making sense of the options can be overwhelming, and people often need a new system on short notice, like when a boiler breaks in the middle of winter or an air conditioning unit stops working during a record-breaking heatwave. To make it easier for people looking for more sustainable heating and cooling options for their homes, we’re updating our Search experience to show energy efficiency information and financial incentives when people search terms like “heat pumps” or “air conditioning.”

For example, when you search for energy-intensive products like furnaces or water heaters in the U.S., suggestions in the Shopping tab will help narrow your search to more sustainable options.

In Europe, meanwhile, energy-intensive products in all relevant categories are shown with precise energy labeling provided directly by the EC’s registry for product energy labeling—EPREL.

On Search, pre-owned products are now highlighted with a badge, making it easier to extend the life of an item and even save some money.

We continuously map the web to connect you to the most relevant, helpful information, so you can better understand all aspects of climate change—from exploring the latest news, to explainers on climate change causes and effects, to actions anyone can do to help.

When you come to Google Search with questions about climate change, we’ll show authoritative information from sources like the United Nations, in addition to the existing news sources that we currently raise up in the carousel.

For people shopping for an EV, it’s now even easier to understand the costs associated with buying a new vehicle thanks to insights in Search. In the U.S., when people search for terms like “best electric cars,” they can quickly compare prices, battery range, and discover models. They can also find government incentives for qualifying vehicles in the United States and parts of Europe.

Our updated Fuel Cost Calculator, currently available in 21 countries, now includes results for both electric and fuel-based cars, helping drivers understand the cost of charging compared with filling up at the pump.

With Battery Range Explorer, searching for an EV will result in a visualization of how far one can drive on a single charge, specific to that model. These battery range insights launched in the United States in 2023 and are planned to roll out in Europe in 2024.

In 2023, we launched extreme heat alerts so when people search for information on extreme heat, they see details they need about when a heat wave is predicted to start and end, tips for staying cool, and related health concerns to be aware of from the Global Heat Health Information Network (GHHN).

By adding the new recycling attributes to Business Profiles, local storefronts and shops can show the recycling services they offer in just a few clicks—whether it’s for plastic bottles, electronics, or glass bottles. In certain markets, people looking for something like “battery recycling near me” can more easily pinpoint local businesses on Search and Maps with the in-store recycling they need. They can even help businesses stand out and share local recycling points with others in their community through contributions in Google Maps.

We’re supporting more sustainable travel choices across various modes of transportation, including driving, transit, and flying.

One of the ways we’re doing this is by helping people find alternatives to flying. For example, say you searched for flights from Madrid to Barcelona. That’s the most-traveled air route in Europe, but the high-speed rail option is only an hour longer than the shortest flight. When considering time at the airport, price, and carbon emissions, rail can often be the better choice.

That’s why we’ve begun rolling out train route suggestions when people search for flights on Google Search, so travelers can better understand all their options.

We also work with academic experts and providers across the industry to help travelers find flights that emit less carbon dioxide. Google works with the travel industry, academics, and travel providers on the Travel Impact Model (TIM), a methodology for estimating per-traveler flight emissions. We hope this publicly available model will help people and organizations make better informed travel decisions.

From being smart enough to turn down automatically when nobody’s home with Eco Temperatures to uncovering ways to save more with subtle adjustments to your schedule using Seasonal Savings or Savings Finder, Nest’s family of thermostats offers intelligent features to make it simpler to save on heating and cooling.¹

Search interest for “energy crisis” hit an all-time high in 2023 when people across Europe came to Google with questions about the energy crisis.

That’s why we partnered with the International Energy Agency to show energy saving tips, right in Search. Together, we reached more than 15 million people, helping to reduce their energy consumption and save money.

When people search for information on the energy landscape in Europe, they’ll see dedicated features with helpful and reliable information. When you search for things like “Europe energy crisis” and “energy price,” you’ll see news articles, local information including financial assistance that may be available, and recommended actions from the International Energy Agency to help conserve energy. Whether it’s turning down the heat or adjusting the settings of your boiler, you will be able to see, at a glance, information about saving energy in your home. These information panels will surface alongside other relevant results from the open web.