TomTom’s Orbis Maps will serve as a core component for automated driving systems across Volkswagen brands, providing detailed lane geometry, attributes and behavioral data with minute-by-minute updates across all road classes. Harrell described the deal as a significant vote of confidence in TomTom’s scalable lane-level mapping technology, which bridges perception-based systems and high-fidelity maps traditionally limited to robo-taxis in select urban areas, he said.

The executive emphasized the uniqueness of TomTom’s Orbis Lane Model Maps, launched recently and powering this collaboration, which automate the creation of rich lane-level detail on 95 percent of navigable roads using crowd-sourced perception data from thousands of vehicles, starting rollout in Germany this quarter and targeting full coverage of Europe and North America by mid-2027.

Harrell also noted the renewal of TomTom’s long-standing partnership with Uber UBER 0.79%↑ to enhance global on-demand travel with improved routing, accuracy and efficiency through integrated maps and live services, creating a feedback loop where Uber trip data refines TomTom’s updates.

He expressed optimism about the company’s financial health, citing the largest order backlog in its history and positioning 2026 as a pivotal year for showcasing AI-reinvented mapping advancements after years of behind-the-scenes platform development.

HERE Technologies CEO Highlights Strong Execution, Key Partnerships

HERE Technologies CEO Mike Nefkens described 2025 as the company’s strongest financial year ever, with heavy investments in growth and a focus on execution mode in 2026, including major partnerships announced at CES.

Nefkens pointed to expansions with Hyundai into multiple vehicle lines, collaboration with Qualcomm QCOM -2.18%↓ and BMW on industry-shaping advanced driver assistance systems using Snapdragon technology, and AI-driven voice navigation work with Amazon Alexa to improve in-car experiences.

The company is emphasizing software-defined vehicles (SDV) by helping OEMs accelerate development through its SDV accelerator, enabling faster integration and reduced complexity, while showcasing real-world applications such as the Lucid Gravity on the CES floor featuring HERE’s precise navigation and ADAS features.

Nefkens expressed confidence in HERE’s competitive position, citing wins across major markets including nearly all Chinese export deals—and expectations of double-digit growth and profitability improvements. He highlighted the company’s commitment to innovation, stating, “We spent about $48 million in investments in new [technology] in 2025, and in 2026 we’ll do over $100 million,” he said, underscoring that the investment will fuel growth in both automotive and enterprise sectors.

Mapbox Executive Highlights Automotive Wins, 3D Lanes Launch and AI Push

Alex Barth, vice president of automotive and mobility at Mapbox, emphasized the company’s strong momentum in the automotive sector during CES 2026, showcasing its role as a developer-focused location platform with over 4 million developers, 45,000 applications and 700 million monthly active users reached through customer apps.

Barth spotlighted major announcements including the launch of Mapbox 3D Lanes in partnership with BMW Group, providing true-to-life road details like lane geometries, markings and 3D models of overpasses and tunnels to make navigation more intuitive and closely match the real-world view, with production-level coverage in key global areas starting this year. He also highlighted deepening ties with Toyota, where Mapbox powers the next-generation navigation in the all-new 2026 RAV4’s Toyota Audio Multimedia system — debuting as the first in a rollout to future models across North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

The executive stressed Mapbox’s advantages in customization, real-time updates from telemetry and ADAS data, and seamless integration for on-demand logistics (serving clients like DoorDash with millions of daily deliveries) and ride-hailing.

Barth noted growing traction in location AI, including agents for voice-driven navigation, conversational map queries and integration with models from OpenAI and others, with about 30 percent of search queries having a location component that current LLMs handle poorly without enhancement.

Looking ahead, Barth described 2026 as a year of continued AI evolution and customer expansions, including significant wins like Porsche shifting to Mapbox for key models, underscoring Mapbox’s ability to deliver branded, high-fidelity experiences that support advanced features for EVs, autonomy and iterative over-the-air updates in a competitive landscape.

CES Mapping Notes:

• A massive European snowstorm prevented executives from HERE, TomTom and other industry companies from attending the conference—or if attending they were up to 48 hours late. TomTom’s CEO Harold Goddijn was one of those who didn’t make the conference because of the weather.