Google Debuts First All-Electric Street View Car in Dublin

Google is rolling out its first all-electric Street View car. The Jaguar I-PACE, equipped with specialized mobile air sensors, launched in Dublin, Ireland, where it will capture air pollution and greenhouse gas measurements (as well as Street View imagery) over the next 12 months.

The vehicle can measure major air pollutants like nitrogen dioxide (NO2), nitric oxide (NO), carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), fine particulate matter (PM2.5), and ozone (O3). Retrofitted for a mounted Street View camera, wiring, and controls, the I-PACE offers cabin air ionization and PM2.5 filtration for enhanced driver comfort and well-being.

"The integration of Google Street View technology with the all-electric Jaguar I-PACE is the perfect solution for measuring air quality," Elena Allen, project manager for business development at Jaguar Land Rover, said in a statement. "Partnerships like this are one of the ways we can achieve our sustainability goals and make a positive impact on society."

At the end of the year, Google's scientific research partners will analyze the data and develop maps of street-level air pollution—similar to the one it made for Copenhagen. Based on three years of hyperlocal air quality data, Google this week released a map featuring measurements of NO2, black carbon, and ultrafine particles in Denmark's most populous city.

"Through mapping street-by-street air quality we found that Copenhagen's major access roads have nearly three times more ultrafine particles and nitrogen dioxide and five times higher black carbon levels when compared to less trafficked residential areas," Karin Tuxen-Bettman, program manager for Google Earth Outreach, wrote in a blog post.

Armed with this information, the City of Copenhagen and urban planners are working to design future "Thrive Zones," which aim to provide children access to schools and playgrounds in areas with cleaner air. The city also plans to use Google's air quality info to encourage more sustainable transportation and create healthier bicycle and walking routes away from car traffic.

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Dublin is poised to make similar moves as part of its Environmental Insights Explorer's program, in which scientists, researchers, and policymakers will study air pollution and encourage people to make daily changes to help improve it.

"Air quality is a serious concern, especially for cities, but there is a gap in terms of localized data and insights available to both decision makers and citizens," according to Paddy Flynn, vice president of Google Geo operations. "As part of this project, we're using technology to capture this important data and make it accessible so that together with Dublin City Council, we can drive solution planning."

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