BMW, Mercedes, and Audi join forces for data mapping service

BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi have joined forces in an agreement to provide data mapping service HERE with real-time sensor data collected by their vehicles. The information the automakers will supply to HERE will help enable systems to better understand their surroundings. BMW, Audi and Daimler already funded HERE last year with around $3.1 billion. The automakers are willing to put in that much money so they can have a sophisticated mapping service to match with autonomous technology. In deals like these, the faster you close it, the better. Apple, Amazon and Facebook also has their eyes on the prize.

This the first time however that three leading automotive brands have agreed to share data. They used to be more protective of this because anything seen in a BMW car can be shared with Audi and Mercedes-Benz models as well.

“We’re showing for the first time how you can take the value of rich sensor data coming from a vehicle and use it to do things that positively impact safety and efficiency,” said Alex Mangan, Here’s product marketing manager for connected driving. “To make the most of connected systems, we all as an industry need each other. The cars need sensor data, and with this kind of agreement, for example, a Toyota vehicle could have an understanding of what the JLR car saw down the road, if everyone’s involved.”

Mangan acknowledged that there are many challenges ahead including differences among vehicles. “The data coming from a BMW 3 Series is very different from a BMW 5 Series, and then it’s even more different from an Audi and Mercedes.” The automakers need cloud services and Big Data to resolve these but that’s a lot of work. BMW has a few more years to figure this out before they release the iNext with full data mapping.