Google Maps can tell Polestar 4 drivers when to merge lanes

Google Maps is rolling out live lane guidance to drivers of the Google-powered electric Polestar 4. The company announced Tuesday that the new feature relies on the EV’s front-facing camera to “see” lane markings and road signs. That information feeds into Google Map’s AI and provides the driver with customized audio and visual cues about merging lanes in real-time. 

Google gives an example of how this might play out. Say you’re driving in the left lane of a US highway and your exit is up ahead on the right side. “With live lane guidance, just glance at your dash display to see exactly which lane you can be in at any given moment,” Google says in a blog post. (Of course, you can also look at the road to figure out this information.) The live lane guidance feature in Maps can detect that you’re several lanes to the left of your exit and remind you to merge in time. (The rest of your passengers might also remind you.) 

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

“Live lane guidance continues the path of Polestar’s driver centric UX strategy, reducing driver stress and improving safety by making missed exits and last-minute lane changes much less of a worry,” Polestar’s head of UX/UI Sid Odedra said in a statement. 

The new feature to Maps will exist alongside standard features like live traffic alerts and estimated drive times. For now, live lane guidance is only available to Polestar 4 cars with Google built-in and only in the US and Sweden, but the company says that it plans to roll out to more cars as it partners with other automakers. The company also says that it plans to add more road types in addition to highways.