Google, a big tech company, has listed 10 ways its products and features can help users make more sustainable choices. Some of the ways include finding relevant train routes when searching for flights, providing carbon emissions estimates for flights, informing users about fuel-efficient routes in Google Maps, comparing prices and incentives for electric vehicles, adding an updated Fuel Cost Calculator to compare the cost of charging, and visualizing the range of electric vehicles with predictions for long trips.
Sustainability has been at the forefront for almost every big tech company. At the start of the new year,
has listed 10 ways it products and features “can help you make more
sustainable choices
.” Here are five ways Google wants you to become more sustainable:
Get more sustainable choices when you travel
On Google Search, you can now find relevant train routes when you search for flights making it easier to consider options like high-speed rail when you travel.
“When you choose to fly, you can also find a
carbon emissions
estimate for nearly every flight in Google Flights results — right next to the price and duration of the trip,” said Google in a blog post.
Take a more fuel-efficient route
Late last year, Google introduced a new feature where it informs users about fuel-efficient routes in Google Maps. The feature is now available in India. “You can find these routes by looking for the little green leaf in Google Maps – it indicates the most fuel-efficient route if it isn’t already the fastest,” said Google in the blog post.
Ease of buying TVs
For people shopping for an
electric vehicle
, it’s now even easier to understand the costs associated with buying a new vehicle. In the US, when people search for terms like “best electric cars,” they can quickly compare prices, battery range, charging times, and power output of individual models. “They can also find federal government incentives for qualifying vehicles in the U.S and parts of Europe,” said Google in the blog post.
The fuel cost calculator
Google says that if you’re considering buying an EV or if you’ve had an EV for a while, it’s helpful to understand the cost of charging. “That’s why we’re adding an updated Fuel Cost Calculator to electric and fuel-based car results to help drivers see the cost of charging compared with filling up at the pump. This is available now in 21 countries around the world,” said Google.
Reduce the EV range anxiety
When you search for an EV, you’ll get a visualisation of how far you can go on a single charge—specific to that model. You can enter your own destination and we’ll show how much battery you’d have upon arrival. “And, for really long trips, we’ll show you how many charges are needed along the way. This prediction takes into account factors like elevation change and speed limits,” said Google in the blog post.
English (US) ·