Here Technologies and the BMW Group have announced an extended partnership to improve the driving experience, road safety and the delivery of software-defined vehicle (SDV) architecture.
New BMW models will use a unified stack of standard and high-definition (SD/HD) map data from Here to enable a range of driving functions such as lane-level positioning to various ADAS functions. Here’s highly detailed and continuously updated map supports BMW with its compliance with the European Union’s Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) regulation and helps the German auto maker achieve top ratings in the New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).
All data from Here for the BMW Group, including lane-level models of the road network, will be powered by UniMap – Here’s AI-powered, unified mapping system. UniMap aligns all SD, ADAS and HD data into one single semantically consistent digital representation of the world. UniMap enables the creation of a data flywheel leading to a continuously updated map and improved driving experiences.
“An AI-powered unified mapping system is essential for software-defined vehicles. It simplifies development, lowers costs and accelerates time-to-market for auto makers building unique location-based services and solutions,” said Gino Ferru, SVP and general manager EMEA at Here Technologies.
More than 220 million cars have been sold with a Here map on board. This includes more than 53 million cars sold across Europe and North America using Here maps for ADAS and automated driving use cases. In addition, at the end of 2023, BMW Group and Here announced that the Here HD Live Map powers the BMW Personal Pilot Level 3 automated driving function, enabling drivers to take their hands off the wheel and eyes off the road under certain conditions.
Since March 2024, the function has been available for the new BMW 7 Series to be used on highways in Germany. When activated, the system will allow a vehicle to drive itself in conditionally automated mode at a maximum speed of 60km/h in heavy traffic.
