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Routes API for Automotive

Routes API for Automotive provides specialized attributes for automotive partners developing in-car navigation features. It extends the standard Routes API with attributes tailored to the automotive industry.

What's included in the Routes API for Automotive documentation

In addition to the documentation for the standard Routes API, the Routes API for Automotive includes the following:

Authorize your requests

To authorize your requests to the annotatePaths, you must use the OAuth method described here: Use OAuth (Automotive). The requests require you to use impersonation with OAuth, similar to the way you call the Automotive Maps API (but with a different scope).

If you're calling the computeRoutes or computeRoutesMatrix methods, however, you can use either type of authorization described in the regular Routes API docs: API keys or OAuth.

Shared documentation with Standard Routes API

The Routes API for Automotive shares documentation with the standard Routes API, such as tutorials under the Guides tab.

Note that when using the standard Routes API tutorials, links point to the standard reference. You need to go to the equivalent link in Routes API for Automotive reference. You can do this by adding automotive/ after routes/ in the browser URL, like this: routes/automotive/.

Getting help

Because Routes API for Automotive is not publicly available, we ask that you avoid filing bugs against it to our public Issue Tracker. We have provided your team with a company-specific Issue Tracker component in which to file bugs. Reach out to your Google contact with other concerns.

Camel-case conventions and terminology

The documentation mostly uses the REST camel-casing conventions (such as annotatePaths) instead of the RPC casing conventions (AnnotatePaths). However, both casings are equally valid.

Additionally, although it's common to refer to annotatePaths, computeRoutes, or computeRoutesMatrix as "APIs," they're actually custom methods. However, you may see them referred to as either methods or APIs.

GA (General Availability) and Experimental Features

This section describes the unique attributes in Routes API for Automotive. The following features are generally available.

Base attributes exposed through the Routes API

E7 polyline (the standard encoded polyline described with E7 coordinates instead of E5):

Avoid ferries. See FerryInfo
Avoid tolls. See TollInfo
[Preview] Selection of Eco Route based on engine type. For more details, see Get an eco-friendly route.

Experimental Features

The following features are in Experimental and are available only for select customers:

Base attributes exposed through the Routes API

Route token taken as optional input. See routeToken in the Route.

Information that can be available along the polyline

Traffic jam delays measured in minutes of traffic. See IncidentType.
Incidents enums without text incident details. See IncidentInfo.

See PolylineDetails.

Other Features

Altitude along route. See AltitudeInfo.
Predicted speed buckets along route (8 buckets, each bucket 10-20 kph in width). See PredictedSpeedInfo.

Route modifiers

You can trigger the following RouteModifiers from the API. However, the routes might not respect the modifier objective because they are still under development and testing. Reach out to your Google representative for questions.

Avoid vignettes (avoidVignettes[]). Supported for six countries: Austria, Switzerland, Hungary, Slovenia, Slovakia, and Czech Republic.
Allow high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) roads (hovPreference). Supported in the US and CA.
Avoid tunnels (avoidTunnels).
Trailering-specific routes (totalAxleCount, totalHeightMm, totalLengthMm, totalWidthMm, totalWeightKg).