If you've ever felt like Google Maps was sending you the long way, you're not imagining things. The app hasn't been prioritizing speed—it's been prioritizing fuel efficiency. And that little green leaf icon? It's been costing you minutes.
What's Actually Happening
Google introduced "Prefer fuel-efficient routes" a couple of years ago, and it's turned on by default. When arrival times are similar, Maps defaults to the route that saves gas rather than the one that saves time. The algorithm considers traffic, hill steepness, stop-and-go patterns, road types, and even your vehicle's engine type.
The result? You could be losing anywhere from one to five minutes per trip. That adds up fast.
The Fix Takes Five Seconds
Open Google Maps → tap your profile picture → Settings → Navigation → scroll to "Route options" → toggle "Prefer fuel-efficient routes" to Off.
That's it. Maps will now show you the fastest route by default.
How the Algorithm Actually Works
Google Maps processes your request in about 200 microseconds—that's 35,000 times faster than older methods. It does this using a technique called Contraction Hierarchies, which pre-processes road networks so the system can skip millions of small roads and focus on major routes.
The algorithm doesn't just measure distance. It assigns a "cost" to each road segment based on expected travel time, road type, tolls, and real-time traffic. Live traffic data updates constantly—over five million updates per second—so your route adjusts to current conditions.
One More Thing
Even with this setting off, Maps still shows fuel-efficient alternatives with a green leaf icon. You can always pick them manually if you're not in a rush.
The fastest route isn't always the best route either—sometimes a slightly longer drive on familiar roads beats saving two minutes through confusing back streets. But at least now you get to make that call, not Google.
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Technology