Google Maps can tell Polestar 4 drivers when to merge lanes

Google Maps provides live route directions to drivers in Polestar 4 electric car powered by Google. Company Announce on Tuesday that the new feature relies on the electric car’s front camera to “see” lane markings and road signals. This information is fed to Google Maps’ AI and provides the driver with personalized audio and visual cues about lane merging in real time.

Google provides an example of how this happens. Suppose you are driving in the left lane of a US highway and your exit is ahead of you on the right side. “With live route routing, simply look at your information display to see exactly which route you can be on at any given moment,” Google says in a blog post. (Of course, you can also look at the route to find out this information.) Maps’ live lane guidance feature can detect that there are multiple lanes to the left of your exit and remind you to merge at the right time. (The rest of the passengers might remind you, too.)

Polestar cars use Google’s built-in Android software to power their infotainment system. As such, Google has integrated other products into Polestar vehicles in the past Five yearslike Google Chrome and High definition maps.

“Direct lane guidance continues the trajectory of Polestar’s driver-centric UX strategy, reducing driver fatigue and improving safety by making missed exits and last-minute lane changes far less worrying,” Sid Odedra, head of UX/UI at Polestar, said in a statement.

The new Maps feature will exist alongside standard features like live traffic alerts and estimated drive times. Currently, direct route routing is only available for Polestar 4 Google’s built-in cars are only available in the US and Sweden, but the company says it plans to roll out more cars through its partnerships with other automakers. The company also says it plans to add more types of roads in addition to highways.