Google Maps quietly launches fuel calculator

Google says 17p will get you from TechRadar HQ to Marylebone High Street
Google says 17p will get you from TechRadar HQ to Marylebone High Street

Google has snuck out a new feature on Google Maps which calculates the approximate fuel cost for your journey.

Using the Get Directions feature, once your route has been calculated the estimated fuel cost appears at the bottom of the list.

From London to Bath in a standard car you're looking at £19.85 according Google, which uses a third party to pull in actual fuel costs.

Baby you can drive my car

You can change the fuel type from petrol to diesel, as well as customise what type of car you drive, depending on whether it's a high consumption, standard or compact model.

It's not clear yet whether or not the feature is available on the Google Maps Navigation app for Android, but it hasn't made an appearance on the iPhone-optimised version as yet.

Either way, it's quite a handy little addition to the desktop edition, and one that Google has kept strangely quiet – we would have thought a quick blog post about the environment and rising fuel costs and whatnot would have been right up Google's street.

News Editor (UK)

Former UK News Editor for TechRadar, it was a perpetual challenge among the TechRadar staff to send Kate (Twitter, Google+) a link to something interesting on the internet that she hasn't already seen. As TechRadar's News Editor (UK), she was constantly on the hunt for top news and intriguing stories to feed your gadget lust. Kate now enjoys life as a renowned music critic – her words can be found in the i Paper, Guardian, GQ, Metro, Evening Standard and Time Out, and she's also the author of 'Amy Winehouse', a biography of the soul star.

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