BMW will use high-definition mapping from HERE Technologies to enable hands-free driving in the United States and Canada.

The first production vehicle to benefit will be the 7 Series, with more set to follow in the future.

The luxury sedan has automated functionality rated as Level 2+ by the Society of Automotive Engineers 

As the name suggests, Level 2+ is considered a bridge between Level 2 and Level 3 by the SAE. On a 7 Series equipped with HERE’s HD Live Map, a driver is permitted to take their hands off the wheel in certain circumstances, at a maximum speed of 85 mph on interstates and highways. 

However, they must remain focused and ready to take control at all times.

The HD Live Map supports the 7 Series by letting it know exactly where it is and what lies ahead thanks to a constant supply of highly accurate information about the road network.

This even includes lane-level data continually input from other system users, which serves as a redundant source of information to the on-board sensors, providing additional safety assurances. 

“A digital HD map is essential for highly automated driving. HERE HD Live Map is rich and reliable: it provides road geometry, route profile and traffic signs – all on a global scale,’ said Dr. Nicolai Martin, senior vice president of driving experience, at BMW Group. 

“We have been working with HERE for many years to bring highly automated driving to market, and we are now thrilled to see the result of our collaboration finally come to life.”

The agreement for BMW to use HERE’s HD Live Map was first announced in February 2018, and now that the partnership is a reality in a production car, the likelihood is it will expand significantly to cover different roads and other vehicles.

“This collaboration demonstrates the value of maps for highly automated driving,” said Fred Hessabi, executive vice president and chief customer officer at HERE Technologies. “We look forward to supporting the expansion of Level 2+ to all types of roads.”

BMW added that the functionality will be extended to further models based on the same technical platform.

HERE’s HD Live Map is also used by BMW’s rival Mercedes on its Level 3 Drive Pilot system, which was launched in Germany on the S-Class and EQS earlier this year.