After the announcement that Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the Faroe Islands, will be getting Gen 4 soon, and with Google cars set to arrive in Serbia and Albania, it appears that Google is intensifying efforts to close the remaining gaps in Gen 4 coverage across Europe. This focus is further evidenced by the latest addition to the list of countries with Gen 4 spottings, Iceland!
Recently, a Google Street View pickup was spotted in Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland, on the coastal road of Eiðsgrandi in the western part of the city. This spotting follows an earlier, unconfirmed report of a red Hilux seen between Keflavík and Reykjavík in mid-July, which now seems likely to have been accurate. The last time Google conducted Street View mapping in Iceland was in September 2013, marking an 11-year gap.
This spotting follows Google’s recent introduction of Gen 4 pickup coverage in the nearby Faroe Islands last month. With both the Faroe Islands and Iceland now receiving Gen 4 updates, it’s possible that other locations in the region, such as Svalbard and Greenland, may be next in line, as Google appears focused on upgrading this area to Gen 4. The coverage in Iceland is likely connected to the Faroe Islands project, conducted by a third party, as both vehicles have the ‘Google Maps’ text on the camera obscured. If true, this coverage is likely done by the same company.
This project also coincides with Apple’s vehicles beginning to map Iceland around the same time, though it’s unclear whether this is related to Google’s activities or merely a coincidence.
The full video on this spotting can be viewed here