Google Maps Makes It Easier to Choose Eco-Friendly Transportation Options
Google Maps is rolling out a pair of updates that should make access to eco-friendly transportation more convenient. The first concerns finding chargers for electric vehicles, while the second can gently nudge drivers to use public transport.
AI-summarized information about electric vehicle chargers
One of the biggest challenges that e-car owners face is having convenient chargers along the way, especially when they are on a long journey. A new Google Maps feature will show EV owners AI-generated summaries of real people’s experiences with chargers to help them assess how reliable and busy they are.
Google says the AI summaries will be based on customer reviews that users may be prompted to fill out when they use an EV charger while using Google Maps. The app will encourage users to leave their reviews after using the EV charger so others can see if the charger is reliable or if they should look for a better option somewhere nearby. Google has offered limited information about electric vehicle chargers, including instructions on how to use them, for several years, but for the first time, this information will be accompanied by detailed reliability summaries.
Google could also softly suggest public transport
If public transit offers an option with a lower carbon footprint and travel time similar to driving, Google may display that public transit route as an option next to the car route.
The tech giant says the functionality is currently rolling out to different cities around the world, although it will start with just 15 for now, including Amsterdam, Barcelona, London, Montreal, Paris, Rome and Sydney. For a full list of cities that will offer low-carbon routes, check out Google’s announcement.
Google is also making it much easier to find public transportation information by providing more information, such as schedules and ticket prices, when you search for something like “train from Boston to Philadelphia.” The company says this should provide more accurate and useful information so you can better plan your next trip.
However, train information is only available in some countries, including Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Luxembourg , Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, UK and USA. Google has not yet said whether it plans to expand beyond these countries.