Google Maps announces new upgrades: Immersive Views, Glanceable Directions, Smarter EV Charging, and more 

After Google announced the new feature called ‘Immersive View’ in May last year, the much-awaited AI-powered feature is finally here. As the name suggests, the feature gives users an immersive three-dimensional model of places to create life-like tours. 

With Immersive view, Google combines billions of Street views and aerial images to create a three-dimensional model of the searched location. Post which, Google adds various layers on top of the digital model, allowing users to view details like the weather, traffic, access routes, nearby attractions, and how busy a location might be. 

The new feature is already live to explore London, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York and Tokyo. More cities, including Florence, Venice, Amsterdam and Dublin, will be added in the coming months, said Google. 

Expanding to Indoor Live View, users will enjoy indoor Live View guidance in over 1,000 new locations, including new malls, airports, and railway stations in major global stations. 

But the big upgrades don’t end here. In another massive upgrade, the company has announced that a new feature called “glanceable directions” is rolling out in Android and iOS globally. 

This feature will allow users to navigate by tracking their journey and to view navigational updates on the route overview screen, regardless of the transportation method. 

In a new feature designed for EV users, Google maps will advise drivers on the best place to stop by analysing the live traffic, current battery level, expected energy consumption and other parameters. Google maps will also display charging stations around destinations. 

“These breakthrough technologies are coming together to power a new experience in maps, called immersive view. It allows you to explore a place like never before,” said Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google parent Alphabet.