A novel take on satnav is under development at the Lund Institute of Technology in Sweden. Rather than routing cars on the shortest route, the experimental device selects roads on which cars can travel at the most constant speed.
“The most efficient roads are often those where you can drive at a fairly slow, constant speed, without having to stop or suddenly accelerate or decelerate”, said researcher Dr Eva Ericsson.
The device checks roads for width, speed limits, and traffic flow during rush hour. It’s based on data from over 15,000 trips around Lund, and the research indicates that using the green(ish) satnav could reduce fuel consumption by over 8%.