It’s been a few months since TomTom announced its new mapping platform and data ecosystem. Since then, the company has also announced its involvement in the Overture Foundation, an open map data project. The wider open mapping community is an important part of the future of location tech, so in this week’s Q&A we talk to someone working close to the world of open mapping and community-built maps.

The TomTom Traffic Index numbers are in. In this edition, London takes the top spot as one of the world’s busiest and most expensive cities for drivers. But it's also the slowest city on the planet.

Just as the coronavirus pandemic faded into memory, new challenges thrust themselves upon the world. War in Ukraine, a looming recession, market unease and the subsequent cost-of-living crisis. Continued uncertainty is bleeding onto our roads and making it more expensive to refuel our vehicles, deliver goods and move about our cities. TomTom’s Traffic Index, now more detailed than ever, shows us the full story. Here's what we learned.

TomTom’s Traffic Index is giving us more insight than ever into the realities of traffic in the world’s major cities. But there are a couple of questions that everyone wants answers to: which cities are hit worst by traffic? And which city centers experience the busiest rush hours? Thanks to TomTom’s traffic report, we have the answers.

In November last year, TomTom announced its new mapping platform and geospatial data ecosystem, the TomTom Maps Platform. It’s generated significant buzz, both inside and outside TomTom Towers. But what's all the fuss about? We’re asking some fellow TomTom’ers for their take on it all.

Think about the last time you bought something. How much choice did you have? How many companies make the thing you bought? A handful? Tens? Thousands? Think about when you had to buy something for work, a new project management tool perhaps, how many options did you have? I still bet you had a decent amount of choice.

In November 2022, TomTom announced its new mapping platform and geospatial data ecosystem, the TomTom Maps Platform. It’s one of the most significant announcements in the company’s history and there's a palpable buzz over what’s on the horizon.

In the future, the experience of driving an electric vehicle will be as seamless as that of driving a gasoline-powered car today. Until then, user experience (UX) designers have the unique opportunity to make the in-vehicle experience more intuitive for those making the switch. But there are some important things they need to keep in mind as they take on this challenge.

Back in early November, TomTom announced its goal to make the “smartest map on the planet,” and lifted the lid on the tech and strategy that it’s building to reach that goal. According to the mapmaker, its new map will empower developers and businesses with more useful geospatial insights than ever before. And it’s coming right as the world demands it. Location information, data and intelligence are being used in more places than most of us ever realize, why? Because they’re incredibly powerful — when processed correctly.

We often think of maps as tools that help us get from A to B. While that might be one of their most useful functions, maps can be so much more than that — especially for communities that have historically been marginalized and underrepresented.

As technology evolves, driving is expanding into an experience that engages not only the driver, but also the passengers. The key to making this experience great lies in the digital cockpit. We attended TomTom's latest webinar, where we saw a panel of experts discuss new and developing visualization technologies that seem set to bring this experience to everyone in the vehicle.

Normally, TomTom spends its time crunching the numbers on traffic data to help you get around quickly and easily in your car. But have you ever wondered about how travel times in a car compare to, say, a cyclist? Not just any cyclist, but one of the world’s best? With the Tour de France heading to the Alpes, we wondered what the answer is.

Tactile mapping is not something most of us will have heard of, but it’s incredibly valuable. It’s used to give blind and visually impaired people an understanding of geography, as well as provide a multisensory format for anyone to learn about the world around them. It’s not talked about enough.

If there were no truck drivers, grocery store shelves would be empty, gas stations would run out of fuel and our online shopping orders would never arrive. Nearly every aspect of daily life is made possible because a trucker delivers the goods people need.

Driving is complicated…and no one wants to end up in an accident. But it’s a risk people face every day as soon as they venture onto the road. Thankfully systems to minimize potential collisions have been invented, such as automatic emergency braking.

Now a symbol of progress and the future, at the turn of the 20th century EVs were one of the most popular types of vehicle — they even outsold gasoline cars at one point. So why didn't EVs win back then? Why has it taken us 100 years to learn EVs are better?