The two firms will jointly develop the digital map to facilitate automated driving, combining TomTom’s expertise in map content and map making with Volkswagen’s car and automated driving knowledge.

They added that the current map used for navigation is not sufficient for the future needs of automated driving and will need to provide much more accurate and up-to-date information about the car’s location and environment, including on lane markings and traffic lights.

‘Partnering with Volkswagen Group Research to develop the future of HAD reaffirms TomTom’s position as a key partner in the automotive market,’ said Harold Goddijn, CEO TomTom. ‘TomTom’s mapping expertise provides the precise data and scalable technology platform needed to enable highly automated driving in cars.’

The firms said they are working on a concept based on the “Navigation Data Standard” (NDS) to deliver scalable and cost-effective automated driving systems that do not require expensive hardware.