Here, AWS Sign $1B Mapping Deal for Automated Cars at CES 2025

Here Technologies and Amazon Web Services have confirmed a mammoth mapping deal worth $1 billion at CES this week in Las Vegas.

Under the 10-year agreement, Here’s precision location tech will be paired with AWS’ massive cloud infrastructure to deliver AI-powered live maps for automakers developing software-defined vehicles (SDVs).

The hope is that the collaboration will help OEMs accelerate their development of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and Automated Driving (AD) tech, bringing more semi-autonomous and autonomous cars to the market sooner.

As Here points out, location tech is integral to the success of SDVs, but it’s extremely data-heavy, which is where the sheer scale of AWS’ computing power will help.

The pair have worked together for more than a decade, with AWS’ infrastructure enabling the rapid deployment of Here’s unified map architecture, which uses AI and machine learning models to automate and update IoT sensor-derived mapping, processing hundreds of millions of kilometers of vehicle data every hour.

But the new collaboration moves things on.

On top of even more sophisticated location tech – delivering, for example, optimized driving routes for EV charging – the partnership will allow Here to offer a new set of cloud-native tools to OEMs that will speed up their development in a number of areas.

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One such tool is SceneXtract, also announced at CES, which will help automakers recreate real-world environments for ADAS and AD testing, in a similar fashion to the simulators used by airlines.

This will eliminate the need for developers to search out real-world locations for actual on-road testing, which is massively time consuming and expensive, and has slowed the rollout of automated driving tech. 

Here CEO Mike Nefkens hailed the importance of the deal, explaining: “Our work with AWS enables our customers to leverage our state-of-the-art location technology for faster software development and real-time data analytics throughout the entire SDV lifecycle, propelling the industry into a new era of automotive excellence.”

Matt Garman, CEO at AWS, added: “Working with Here, we will help automakers pioneer new ways to improve the driving experience by leveraging the global scale, reliability and AI capabilities of AWS to power AI-driven mapping applications and features.”

Here’s AI Assistant

Here also used CES to unveil its AI Assistant, which leverages multiple GenAI Large Language Models to deliver guidance covering a number of areas including smart routing, information on local amenities, imminent tolls, upcoming speed limits and more.

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“This solution delivers personalized, real-time insights,” said Denise Doyle, Here’s chief product officer. “Whether for individual drivers or entire fleets, the Here AI Assistant sets a new benchmark for efficiency, precision and user experience in the transportation industry.”

It will be available in the HERE WeGo app later this year.