NPE using Google maps services on mapView.onCreate (...)

Question

NPE using Google maps services on mapView.onCreate (...)

Background

Our application has access to Google Maps, and one of the fragments should display a map. Due to some limitations, we had to use MapView instead of MapFragment, as such:

@Override
public void onCreate(@Nullable Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
    MapsInitializer.initialize(getActivity().getApplicationContext());
}

@Override
public View onCreateView(LayoutInflater inflater, ViewGroup container, Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    View rootView = inflater.inflate(R.layout...., null);
    mMapView = (MapView) rootView.findViewById(R.id.map);
    mMapView.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
    mMapView.getMapAsync(...);
    //...
    return rootView;
}

Problem

Using Crashlytics, we received many crash reports on various devices and versions of Android.

The error shows this error:

Fatal Exception: java.lang.NullPointerException
       at com.google.maps.api.android.lib6.gmm6.m.ad.a(Unknown Source)
       at com.google.maps.api.android.lib6.gmm6.c.h.a(Unknown Source)
       at com.google.maps.api.android.lib6.gmm6.c.y.a(Unknown Source)
       at com.google.maps.api.android.lib6.e.bd.a(Unknown Source)
       at com.google.maps.api.android.lib6.e.ev.a(Unknown Source)
       at com.google.maps.api.android.lib6.e.af.a(Unknown Source)
       at com.google.android.gms.maps.internal.w.onTransact(SourceFile:66)
       at android.os.Binder.transact(Binder.java:310)
       at com.google.android.gms.maps.internal.IMapViewDelegate$zza$zza.onCreate(Unknown Source)
       at com.google.android.gms.maps.MapView$zza.onCreate(Unknown Source)
       at com.google.android.gms.dynamic.zza$3.zzb(Unknown Source)
       at com.google.android.gms.dynamic.zza$1.zza(Unknown Source)
       at com.google.android.gms.maps.MapView$zzb.zzzW(Unknown Source)
       at com.google.android.gms.maps.MapView$zzb.zza(Unknown Source)
       at com.google.android.gms.dynamic.zza.zza(Unknown Source)
       at com.google.android.gms.dynamic.zza.onCreate(Unknown Source)
       at com.google.android.gms.maps.MapView.onCreate(Unknown Source)
       at ...