Google Maps defaults to fuel-efficient, not fastest routes

Key Takeaways

• Google Maps defaults to fuel-efficient routes, which can add 1-5 minutes to your trip
• Apple Maps defaults to your learned preferred route, not necessarily the fastest
• Both apps allow you to change these defaults in settings

Google Maps does not show you the fastest route by default. The world's most downloaded navigation app prioritizes fuel-efficient routes instead, a setting that can add one to five minutes to your drive. If you're an engineer commuting to work or a product manager racing to a customer meeting, those lost minutes compound.

Apple Maps handles this differently but still trips up users. Rather than optimizing for speed or fuel economy, it defaults to routes it thinks you prefer based on past behavior. Neither app assumes you want the quickest path from A to B.

Why Google Maps prioritizes fuel over speed

Google switched to fuel-efficient routing as the default in recent years, framing it as an environmental initiative. The logic is straightforward: less fuel burned means lower emissions. For drivers watching their gas budget, it also means fewer trips to the pump.

According to logistics company Upper, this default can add anywhere from one to five minutes per trip. That range depends on the route complexity, traffic conditions, and whether the fuel-efficient path avoids highways in favor of steadier speeds on surface streets.

The tradeoff is real. A five-minute addition to a daily commute equals roughly 40 extra hours per year behind the wheel. For field sales teams or delivery operations, multiplied across dozens of trips daily, the time cost grows substantial.

How to set Google Maps to show the fastest route

Changing this setting takes about 30 seconds. Open Google Maps and tap your profile picture in the top right. Go to Settings, then Navigation. Under the Route options section, toggle off 'Prefer fuel-efficient routes.' That's it.

1. Open Google Maps
2. Tap your profile picture
3. Select Settings
4. Tap Navigation
5. Under Route options, toggle off 'Prefer fuel-efficient routes'

Once disabled, Google Maps will prioritize the route that gets you there soonest, even if it burns more fuel. The app still factors in real-time traffic, road closures, and construction. It just stops deprioritizing highways and faster roads in favor of efficiency.

Apple Maps uses a different default logic

Apple Maps doesn't share Google's fuel-efficiency focus. Instead, it learns from your driving patterns and tries to predict which route you'd prefer. If you always avoid tolls, it assumes you'll keep avoiding them. If you tend to take the highway, it'll suggest that first.

This personalization sounds helpful but can backfire. The app might keep suggesting a suboptimal route because you took it once during unusual traffic. There's no explicit 'always show fastest' toggle like Google offers.

To override Apple Maps defaults, you need to adjust route preferences for each trip or reset your learned preferences entirely. Open Settings, scroll to Maps, and review the Driving & Navigation section. You can toggle preferences for tolls, highways, and other factors there.

When fuel-efficient routing makes sense

Don't dismiss Google's default entirely. For long road trips where fuel costs dominate, the fuel-efficient route often saves more money than the time cost. Electric vehicle drivers may also prefer routes that minimize energy consumption, especially when charging infrastructure is sparse.

Teams managing delivery fleets should consider the math carefully. A five-minute delay per delivery across 50 daily stops equals over four hours of driver time. But fuel savings at scale, multiplied across a fleet of vehicles, might offset that. The right default depends on your cost structure.

What this means for location-based products

If you're building apps that integrate Google Maps or Apple MapKit, understand that your users inherit these defaults. A ride-sharing app that relies on Google's default routing might consistently estimate arrival times shorter than reality, since Google's ETA accounts for the fuel-efficient path it's actually sending drivers on.

The same applies to logistics software. When you pull route data from Google's Directions API, check whether your API calls explicitly request fastest routes or accept the default. The difference affects delivery windows, driver scheduling, and customer expectations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Google Maps always show the fastest route?

No. Google Maps defaults to fuel-efficient routes, which can be 1-5 minutes slower. You can disable this in Settings > Navigation > Route options.

How do I change Apple Maps to show the fastest route?

Apple Maps doesn't have an explicit 'fastest route' toggle. It learns your preferences over time. Adjust routing preferences in Settings > Maps > Driving & Navigation.

Why did Google change to fuel-efficient routing by default?

Google frames this as an environmental initiative to reduce emissions. The fuel-efficient route often avoids highways in favor of steadier speeds on surface streets.

Does the Google Maps API also default to fuel-efficient routes?

The Directions API behavior depends on how you configure your requests. Check your API parameters to ensure you're requesting the routing type your application needs.

Which navigation app is best for fastest routes?

Waze, TomTom, and Google Maps (with fuel-efficient routing disabled) all prioritize speed. The best choice depends on your region and traffic data accuracy.

Source: Fast Company / Michael Grothaus