While the summer holidays are approaching and refueling is still likely to make more than one motorist grimace, Google Maps hides an option capable of lowering the bill a little.
Between long weekends, looming vacation departures and daily commutes, the question of fuel comes up again and again. In a context where refueling continues to weigh on motorists’ budgets, every euro saved is worth taking. And sometimes, the solution is not found in a new car or in more zen driving, but directly in an application that millions of French people use every day: Google Maps.
For many, Google Maps is primarily used to avoid getting lost or to avoid traffic jams. When you enter a destination, your first instinct is to choose the quickest route. However, the application does not just calculate travel time. Behind the screen, it analyzes a significant amount of data that can impact fuel consumption. Traffic, terrain, frequent slowdowns, red lights or even sections where vehicles spend their time accelerating then braking are taken into account in its calculations.
Indeed, contrary to popular belief, the fastest journey is not necessarily the one that costs the least in fuel. A road saturated with cars, with stops every hundred meters and repeated traffic jams, can quickly increase consumption. Conversely, a slightly longer but smoother route can sometimes limit the number of trips to the pump. A few extra minutes on the journey therefore do not automatically translate into more fuel consumed.
The option to activate is called “Favor fuel-efficient routes“. To do this, you have to open Google Maps, tap your profile photo, go to the settings, then to the navigation settings and route options. All you then need to do is activate this function. When the application spots a route likely to consume less fuel than another, it identifies it using a small icon in the shape of a green leaf.
Google has also developed its system taking into account the differences between vehicles. A diesel car does not have the same consumption habits as a gasoline model. Hybrids and electric vehicles often do well in urban areas thanks to energy recovery systems during braking. If you also enter your vehicle type in the application, it can therefore take these parameters into account to refine its recommendations.
