The BMW i3 electric car and the BMW i8 electric hybrid sports car either don’t use or greatly reduce the consumption of fossil fuels, but that doesn’t mean they are always the most resource-efficient means of transportation in all locations and in all circumstances. That’s why BMW has partnered with INRIX to offer the first in-car navigation system that tells drivers if a car, a bus, or a train is the fastest way to complete their journey.
At the 2014 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), now under way in Las Vegas, INRIX is introducing the industry’s first in-car intermodal navigation system.
Debuting in BMW ConnectedDrive systems in the new i3 and i8, the new service will integrate local public transport connections into journey planning.
INRIX claims that the system monitors real-time traffic conditions and alerts drivers to faster alternative modes of transportation when major delays occur along local routes. Upon selecting an alternative mode, the system provides turn-by-turn navigation to the nearest public transport station in time for the next departure.
“In an increasingly urban, time-compressed, and socially-conscious marketplace, the future of the automobile depends on our ability to market mobility as much as it depends on horsepower, styling, or fuel economy,” said Rafay Khan, Senior Vice President of Sales and Product, INRIX. “It’s our shared goal with customers like BMW to meet drivers’ demands for greater mobility and sustainability in the connected car.”
The BMW i3 and i8 have been designed like no other vehicles ever powered by an electric drive system. The world’s first fully-networked, electrically powered cars provide a robust system of intelligence for sharing information between the vehicle, the driver, and the outside world. In addition to intermodal route guidance and pedestrian navigation through the BMW iRemote app, INRIX’s role in BMW ConnectedDrive services extends beyond navigation to energy management.
INRIX EV Services help drivers determine available range from their current location as well as identify and provide route guidance to available charging locations.
INRIX VP and General Manager of Automotive Andreas Hecht added, “We’re thrilled to have created such a unique product with such a quality-oriented OEM. In meeting BMW’s demands for accuracy, we’ve developed an EV service that truly stands apart from other EV charging and range finder services on the market.”
INRIX EV and Intermodal Navigation features include:
Determining available range from the driver’s current location to their destination based on traffic congestion, current charge, topography, and other variables navigating them to an available EV charging station as needed along the way.
Providing individually and continuously verified information on location, operating hours, number of connectors, supported plug types and voltage as well as availability.
Recommending the fastest mode of transportation to a destination, comparing public transportation schedules with expected vehicle travel times in traffic. The INRIX public transport database includes locations and departure schedules for bus and train stations in 17 countries.
INRIX EV and Intermodal Navigation Services are individually verified and updated as new charging locations come online, public transportation schedules change and new capabilities such as charging station availability are added.
BMW Expands Use of INRIX Traffic Information Worldwide
In addition to the BMW i3 and i8, BMW uses INRIX real-time traffic information across all new BMW models equipped with the automaker’s Advanced Real-Time Traffic Information (ARTTI) service in 17 countries.
Initially introduced in select 2011 vehicles, INRIX traffic information is intended to help BMW drivers save time and fuel, avoid frustration by finding the fastest routes and travel times, and providing alerts to help avoid accident locations and other obstacles.—Scott Blazey
