Google Maps launch new features and Android Auto incident reports in India

Ben Schoon | Jul 25 2024 - 9:05 am PT

Google has announced a few new features for Maps that are specific to India, including support for incident reports on Android Auto, something we’ve been asking about for years.

In a blog post today, Google details six new features coming to Maps in India. These largely include features specific to the region, such as “Flyover” routes (elevated roads that are designed to ease congestion). Maps will begin to include flyovers in routes in India, helping drivers to know whether or not their route allows them to get on the flyover, as those roads don’t have as frequent exits as the main road.

Maps will also show notices about “narrow roads” using AI to determine a road’s width (taking in factors such as satellite imagery, Street View, and more data). This data can also be used to adjust your route depending on if you are driving in a two-wheel or four-wheel vehicle.

Google says both of these features are designed specifically for India, and they’ll be available across Android and Android Auto starting in 40 cities this week. iOS and CarPlay support is coming later.

Beyond that, Google is expanding EV charging station support in India and, for the first time, including two-wheel EVs in the mix. Google Maps will also support booking metro tickets through ONDC and Namma Yatri starting this week in Kochi and Chennai. Google Maps will also curate “favorite spots” in local communities.

In an update that seems like it might go global later, Google says it has “simplified” road incident reporting to involve fewer taps, with confirming another user’s report also now only requiring a single tap.

Interestingly, Google directly says that this is rolling out in India across all platforms – Android, iOS, CarPlay, and Android Auto. We reported earlier this month that Google was starting to roll out Maps incident reporting on CarPlay for the first time, but the functionality has been missing on Android Auto for years. Google says it is now available in India, but we’ve yet to see any reports of that. If you’re seeing incident reporting in Google Maps for Android Auto, please let us know!