A better navigation experience: Designed for drivers, trusted by carmakers

Anna Bednarczyk

Sr. Manager Product Marketing

Apr 13, 2021 • 4 min read

Our mission is to make driving safer, easier and cleaner. We’ve taken another step towards this with the release of NavKit2: TomTom’s next-gen navigation engine that powers an always up-to-date in-dash experience.

At TomTom, we believe navigation systems should deliver a responsive experience that increases driver safety and comfort. Designed to meet this vision, our new navigation engine, NavKit2, combines the speed and richness of cloud-native processing with the reliability of onboard software and maps. Fast online processing provides the freshest maps, data and functionality. And it’s all seamlessly and safely integrated into vehicle screens.

Designed for drivers

NavKit2 is our answer to a market accustomed to smartphones. It offers drivers a satisfying user experience thanks to our new online-first technology. With NavKit2, drivers can count on navigation that is always up to date. We do this in part by leveraging real-time map-making capabilities in the cloud and supporting over-the-air (OTA) map and software updates.

Thanks to hybrid connectivity that switches seamlessly between online and offline, the system is also highly reliable. If connection drops, such as in an underground parking garage, the navigation system switches to offline mode without interrupting the driver’s navigation experience. When connectivity resumes, the system will switch to online with the latest traffic information and connected services.

NavKit2 also makes use of powerful cloud computing for search, routing and guidance instructions, allowing it to retrieve route calculations in an instant. Not only does this ensure driver safety, it also supports more efficient and comfortable drives.

Let’s take a closer look at how all these features come together to offer drivers a complete, connected navigation experience.

Reliable: Works online and offline

Our engine is online first, meaning it will use our cloud services first, providing drivers with fast, responsive routing and ETAs. If connection drops, NavKit2 will switch to the vehicle’s onboard map and software, ensuring drivers always have the information they need to get where they’re going.

Customizable: Adapts to carmakers’ needs

Depending on the car line, model and vehicle type, carmakers can customize NavKit2 in the way that suits them best. Carmakers can configure the amount of data sent to the car by determining the part of the navigation that lives in the cloud or onboard. From entry to volume to premium, our navigation engine easily integrates with any brand, model or vehicle type, including electric vehicles (EVs), trucks and motorbikes.

EV-first: Made for the electric revolution

We believe that EVs are the future – and to keep the electric revolution rolling, we need to make sure that EV drivers can hit the road confidently, without worrying about range or finding suitable charging points. NavKit2 delivers on these needs, packing in a range of features that ensure EV drivers enjoy safe, stress-free journeys.

That includes an extensive database of EV charging point locations and live availability, so drivers can easily find a suitable place to recharge. TomTom also integrates charging point information and EV consumption models in our routing algorithms – which also take current battery levels, weather and traffic conditions into account – to provide precise EV routing and range predictions. We top it all off with a long-distance routing API that provides a fast overview of where and when to charge on longer journeys.

Global: Supports local markets and languages

TomTom technology is available on a global scale and backed by the knowledge and support of our local teams. We don’t just support local languages, but also local habits like landmark navigation, postcode entry and junction-to-junction navigation.

Want to learn more? Head to the NavKit2 product page to find out more about the engine behind TomTom’s next-gen navigation.

Learn more

Redefining the navigation user interface

NavKit2 is complemented by an all-new user interface (UI): TomTom NavKit2UI, which allows carmakers to match the UI to their brand, and fit it seamlessly into their digital cockpit design. NavKit2UI integrates and grows with carmakers, giving them one platform to create a branded in-vehicle experience across multiple car lines. Here’s how.

Unique brand experience

NavKit2UI lets carmakers customize the user experience – not just colors on the map – in the way that works best for their brand. For changes like updating colors, fonts, icons and menu items, carmakers can adapt these features themselves with our easy-to-use toolkit. For those looking to make more extensive adaptations, TomTom works together with carmakers to bring their unique brand vision to life.

Supports multiple screens for increased safety and comfort

Unlike difficult-to-see phone screens, our UI spans multiple displays for increased driver and passenger safety and comfort. TomTom software integrates easily with center stack, cluster, passenger and head-up displays, showing the most relevant information on the right screen at the right time.

Sensor integration, beyond navigation

Our UI integrates with the vehicle’s sensors to increase driver safety and comfort. From visibility into EV battery levels and closest compatible and available charging stations to speed limit warnings and lane-level navigation for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), TomTom NavKit2UI goes beyond basic navigation.

Voice-enabled, VPA-agnostic

Drivers keep their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road with voice-enabled functionality. Our UI is pre-integrated with Alexa, Cerence and Houndify – giving drivers a voice about which VPA to bring into the cockpit.

Bringing your brand into the vehicle is easy with NavKit2UI – head to our product page for more details.

Learn more

Trusted by carmakers

We partner closely with carmakers to help them solve the problems they face in a time- and cost-efficient manner that addresses their drivers’ needs. Although our services can run fully online, we have developed a smart streaming mechanism through which we deliver only relevant changes, as opposed to constantly streaming all data. This saves automakers costs and ensures drivers always have access to up-to-date content.

All this content can be wrapped in the automaker’s brand experience and tailored to any car line, brand or vehicle type, reducing the complexity of managing multiple suppliers. We are the global one-stop shop for full-stack navigation.

Proven technologies for the present and future

With our online-first approach, we ensure drivers get the best features found in smartphones – and we go a step further by safely integrating navigation directly into the vehicle, so drivers can enjoy a distraction-free experience and we all can enjoy safer roads.