At the Geneva Motor Show, currently taking place in Switzerland, Netherlands-based provider of traffic information, navigation, and mapping products, TomTom, announced that Volvo Cars has selected its HD map to power the first phase of the Swedish automaker’s real-world self-driving vehicles program.
Due to start within the next few months, Volvo’s groundbreaking Drive Me research project is going to use real drivers who will integrate autonomous driving into their daily lives on public roads. The first group of drivers will be recruited in Gothenburg, Sweden, with further pilot schemes organized in London (UK) and China. The local drivers will be using a fleet of 100 hybrid-powered XC90 SUVs on pre-selected routes in Gothenburg, collecting hundreds of terrabytes of on-road data, as well providing insight into how they interact with the technology. The test fleet will be guided by TomTom’s HD Map, which is a revolutionary, highly accurate, digital map-based product that helps automated vehicles precisely locate themselves on the road. The Drive Me project is partly financed by FFI, and also includes Autoliv, the Swedish Transport Administration, the Swedish Transport Agency, Chalmers University of Technology, Lindholmen Science Park, and the City of Gothenburg.
“The Volvo Drive Me program is exciting because of its user-centric focus,” noted Antoine Saucier, managing director of TomTom Automotive. “We’re really interested in what we’ll learn from the drivers as they interact with the technology, and how our HD Map helps towards their driving experience.”
TomTom has also announced that its trusted navigation components will be rolled-out into Peugeot’s latest car lines. TomTom maps, navigation, 3D buildings, traffic, speed cameras, weather, fuel, parking, and local search information services will be included in the Peugeot 208 and 2008, running on the car maker’s i-Cockpit infotainment system. The announcement follows the successful launch of the i-Cockpit concept in the Peugeot 3008 and 5008 models, which included the same components. The i-Cockpit features a multimedia system with an 8-inch (20cm) touchscreen, as well as a head-up instrument panel with a 12.3-inch (31cm) display screen, proving the scalability of TomTom components, which work smoothly and seamlessly over both screens.
“The fantastic thing about our offering is that our navigation components work off-the-shelf, and can be easily integrated into car manufacturers’ customized infotainment systems,” said Saucier. “Peugeot’s i-Cockpit has proven incredibly popular since launch, so we’re delighted that we can continue to offer its drivers an incredible connected car experience.”
TomTom is also celebrating the news that its real-time traffic information system is now available in more than one million Mercedes-Benz passenger vehicles. Over 500 million phones, cars, and portable navigation devices, provide GPS data points to help create the traffic service, which is available in 54 countries in Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia.
Saucier noted, “Our real-time traffic information helps drivers to beat the jams and get to their destination faster. We’re really proud that Mercedes-Benz has trusted us to deliver this connected car service to so many of its customers around the world.”
