In a move designed to nudge users towards eco-friendly choices, Google has announced a suite of new features for its Maps and Search applications. These updates aim to make sustainable travel options more accessible and help users reduce their carbon footprint.
The biggest change in Google Maps involves highlighting public transportation and walking directions alongside driving routes, whenever the estimated travel times for these options are comparable to driving.
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This feature, initially rolling out in over fifteen cities globally, empowers users to make informed decisions based on both time and environmental impact.
Furthermore, Google Search is also getting a sustainability upgrade. Users can now find schedules, ticket prices, and booking links for long-distance buses and trains directly on the search results page. This functionality currently covers trains in 38 countries and buses in 15.
In addition, Google will soon suggest train routes as an alternative when you search for flights. Notably, Google Flights already allows you to see the estimated emissions of nearly all flights and filter for those with a lower environmental impact.
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This functionality is powered by the Travel Impact Model (TIM), a methodology developed by Google to calculate flight emissions. To facilitate even greater access to TIM data, Google is making it available through a developer API, a Google Sheets add-on, and a standalone calculator.
