GPS Navigation in all cars by 2024

With new EU regulations, GPS navigation will soon become a standard in new cars. Starting from May 2022, the EU will have the strictest vehicle safety standards in the world. The Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) will be mandatory for all new EU cars introduced on the market and from July 2024 for all new cars sold in the EU.

What is ISA?

Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) uses a road-sign recognition camera and GPS-linked speed limit data from a digital map to warn and assist drivers in adhering to the posted speed limits.

What ISA isn't?

ISA is not a speed limiter. ISA doesn't operate with a car's braking system but simply limits the engine power, thus preventing further acceleration once the posted speed limit is reached. The ISA system is imagined to be overridable, and drivers can easily opt to ignore the ISA simply by firmly pressing the accelerator. However, ISA is envisioned to be turned on by default once the car is started.

Why ISA?

European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) considers speed as the primary factor in 1/3 of all fatal collisions, with 60% of drivers exceeding speed limits. ETSC points that 500 deaths occur weekly on EU roads. For over a decade, ETSC has been advocating the introduction of mandatory speed assistance to reduce road causalities.

3/4 of roads do not have speed limit signs

When a road-sign recognition camera does not suffice

Even if we assume the road-sign recognition cameras are accurate in 100% of cases, frequently neglected is that only 1/4 of the road network is covered by the speed road signs. The remaining 3/4 of the road network have implicitly enforced or "unless otherwise posted" speed limits. Implicit speed limits are valid at all times and on all streets unless a speed limit sign is placed. They're often set depending on the road type, road location, vehicle type, etc. For example, in the UK, a speed limit of 30 mph applies to all roads in built-up areas, 60 mph on a single carriageway, 70 mph on dual carriageways and motorways, etc.

Navigation as a standard car feature by 2024

When there are no speed limit road signs, the ISA system must use the vehicle's GPS data to precisely determine the car's road segment and thus deduce the implicit speed limit. This process of matching GPS positions to the most likely road segment is called map matching.

The map matching process effectively means the ISA systems must be equipped with a highly precise digital road network map, such as those used in the embedded car GPS navigation. Also, since the vehicle map matching procedure is a standard part of GPS navigation, it's reasonable to expect new cars to be equipped with an embedded GPS navigation by default.

Moreover, the built-in GPS is already a mandatory feature on new cars since 2018 due to the EU's Emergency Call (eCall) emergency calling system. For reference, the eCall system automatically makes an emergency call if a vehicle is involved in an accident.

The GPS navigation might have been available in the highest trims of premium car brands twenty years ago, but buying a new family sedan without navigation is highly unlikely in 2021. As per McKinsey's 2020 ACES consumer survey, respondents were willing to pay up to $13 for advanced map features and personalized GPS navigation. The survey also states that 37% of respondents would switch cars to achieve improvements in autonomous driving, connectivity, electrification, and shared mobility.

Mireo's approach to embedded GPS navigation

Founded in 2001, Mireo has been developing top-of-the-line GPS navigation solutions for over 20 years. We've been providing GPS navigation solutions to major OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers for the last ten years. 20 Million navigation licenses testify to our expertise.

When we designed our GPS navigation application, we made special care on its integration with infotainment systems, from the look and feel to the implementation of infotainment's interfaces. The result is an incredible user experience wrapped in quality embedded GPS navigation developed within a minimum delivery time.

Discover the ultimate embedded GPS navigation guide and discover how to bring full-featured, branded GPS navigation applications to the automotive market quickly, efficiently, and effectively.

Embedded GPS navigation 101