With fuel prices still high, long car trips are very expensive. But you can significantly reduce your consumption thanks to a little-known feature in the Google Maps app.

With fuel prices still high, long car trips are very expensive. But you can significantly reduce your consumption thanks to a little-known feature in the Google Maps app.

It’s hard to do without Google Maps these days, the mapping and route planning app designed by Google. Every year, it is enriched with new functions or well-thought-out options to make our travels even easier. The strength of the American giant’s algorithms thus provides many services to optimize all journeys, but they are not always well enough highlighted to take advantage of them.

This is the case of a function that allows you to save money when traveling by car. By indicating the starting point and the destination point, Google Maps calculates a route taking into account the consumption required for the journey. To do this, the app relies on topographical data (such as the slopes present on the road), but also on the various speed limits imposed and the prediction of traffic jams based on a traffic history.

Google Maps can thus determine the route that saves the most fuel, and also limits CO2 emissions. The distance to be covered may be longer than normal and the time needed to reach the destination extended, but the game can be worth the effort. According to tests carried out by Google, it is sometimes possible to save up to 30% on fuel. Be careful: Google warns however that this option is not available for distances of less than 5 km. The display of other available routes remains present. You can therefore choose the one that suits you best.

Don’t look for a button to activate on the map displayed in Google Maps: the option to create a fuel-efficient route can be found in the app’s settings. And it’s available on both Android and iOS (iPhone). Open Google Maps on your smartphone and tap on the icon of your avatar, at the top right. Choose Settings Then Navigation Or Navigation settings. Then scroll down to the section Route options and activate the switch Favor fuel-efficient routes.

From now on, when you search for directions to get somewhere, the most fuel-efficient route will be indicated by a small green leaf. Tap it to select it, then pull down the information drawer at the bottom of the screen to get more details. Google Maps will then show you the amount of fuel (expressed as a percentage) saved.

From the settings, you can of course indicate the type of engine of your vehicle: diesel, petrol, hybrid or electric. For the latter, Google plans in the coming weeks to indicate on the map the open and free charging stations. Practical. To save even more on your journeys, you can also ask Google Maps to show you routes where there are no tolls or even no motorways or ferries. The journey will probably be longer, but much more economical!