TomTom Expands EV Strategy Beyond Charging Access With AI-Powered In-Car Services, Richer Location Data and Next-Generation Range Prediction

TomTom Expands EV Strategy Beyond Charging Access With AI-Powered In-Car Services, Richer Location Data and Next-Generation Range Prediction

(IN BRIEF) TomTom is expanding its electric vehicle strategy from solving basic range and charging anxiety toward a broader AI-powered mobility platform designed to make EV ownership more personalised, predictive and automated. The company now provides data covering well over two million EV chargers worldwide and has expanded its capabilities with EV-specific routing and search, live charging prices, charger availability profiles, driver preferences and deeper location context. As European EV adoption approaches 30% of new vehicle sales when battery-electric and plug-in hybrid models are combined, TomTom sees the next phase of development shifting toward greater choice around pricing, amenities, safety, payments and charging preferences. Its Destination & Waypoint Management activities now extend these capabilities into wider software-defined vehicle experiences, supported by TomTom AI Assistant, Agents and additional intelligence layers. Looking ahead, the company is developing AI-based services capable of learning driver routines, anticipating charging requirements and improving battery range prediction using real-world factors such as weather, towing, tyre pressure and driving style, with a revised API expected by the end of 2026.

(PRESS RELEASE) AMSTERDAM, 8-Sep-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — TomTom is expanding its electric vehicle strategy beyond basic charging availability, developing a broader generation of intelligent in-car services designed to make EV ownership easier, more personalised and increasingly automated as electric vehicles move into the automotive mainstream.

Two years after publishing its roadmap for supporting electric mobility, TomTom has significantly expanded its EV capabilities across charging data, routing, search, pricing and driver preferences. The company now covers well over two million EV chargers globally, with strong representation across North America and Europe and more recent expansion into Southeast Asia and Korea.

The next phase will increasingly combine TomTom’s location intelligence with artificial intelligence to anticipate drivers’ needs, improve battery range prediction and help manage charging decisions automatically while retaining driver control.

EV adoption moves from early adopters toward the mainstream

TomTom said the electric vehicle market has changed considerably over the past five years as adoption and charging infrastructure have accelerated.

Across Europe, battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles now account for close to 30% of new vehicle sales on average, with battery-electric vehicles alone representing around 20%. The Netherlands has moved above 40%, while Norway has reached more than 97% EV penetration among new vehicles sold, according to figures cited by TomTom.

Public charging infrastructure has also expanded rapidly, with the number of public chargers doubling over the past four years.

As range anxiety and basic charger availability become less dominant concerns, TomTom believes the industry must increasingly focus on delivering a more refined experience for the growing mainstream population of EV drivers.

TomTom expands EV data beyond basic charger locations

TomTom’s original EV strategy focused heavily on making electric driving as simple as possible through better maps, routing and charger information.

Over the past two years, the company has overhauled its EV charging point-of-interest data, added more detailed driver preferences for routing and charging, unified its search and routing technology for EV navigation, launched charger availability profiles and introduced live pricing.

TomTom is also developing user feedback functionality to improve the accuracy of charger information, with ratings and reviews planned as a further addition.

The company’s global charging database now covers more than two million chargers.

Rather than integrating individually with every charging network, TomTom uses what it describes as a “super aggregator” model, working with specialist regional data partners to expand coverage more quickly into new geographic markets.

Availability profiles give drivers a clearer view of charging conditions

TomTom is also increasing the depth of information provided around individual charging locations.

Its availability profiles use six weeks of rolling utilisation data and apply a methodology similar to that used in TomTom’s historical traffic-flow analysis.

The profiles allow drivers to estimate how busy a charger is likely to be when they reach it rather than simply showing whether charging infrastructure exists at a particular location.

Additional information can include reliability scores, nearby amenities and charging prices.

This enables drivers to consider not only where they can charge, but expected availability, alternative sites, nearby facilities, pricing and estimated charging duration when planning a journey.

EV technology becomes foundation for wider connected-car services

TomTom’s evolving EV strategy is also influencing its broader approach to connected and software-defined vehicles.

The team led by Drew Meehan has expanded from a specific EV focus into Destination & Waypoint Management, covering EV charging, point-of-interest search, fuel and charging prices, parking, in-car transactions and integration with TomTom’s AI-powered platforms.

These platforms include the TomTom AI Assistant, Agents and intelligence layers that provide additional context and knowledge to AI systems.

TomTom said EVs have effectively acted as a proving ground for many of the capabilities increasingly required by software-defined vehicles, including more sophisticated trip planning, real-time information, richer location context, personalisation and services capable of responding dynamically to drivers.

Technologies originally developed around charging stops and EV range management can increasingly be applied to other vehicles and journeys, including multi-day road trips, family travel and personalised destination planning.

Drivers increasingly want choice rather than simply charger access

As charging networks expand, TomTom expects EV drivers to become more selective about where and how they charge.

Drivers increasingly want information about electricity prices, integrated payments and nearby amenities such as restaurants, toilets, Wi-Fi and spaces suitable for families.

Other considerations can include lighting around charging facilities for personal safety and covered charging bays during poor weather.

The company sees this transition from basic charging access toward personalised choice as one of the next significant challenges for EV navigation and location services.

European charging regulation supports expanding infrastructure

TomTom also points to regulatory developments as a factor in the improving EV charging experience.

The European Union’s Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) is supporting deployment of fast chargers at regular intervals on major motorway corridors, while operators such as Fastned, Electra and Ionity continue expanding their charging networks.

Combined with improvements in EV-optimised navigation and range calculations, these developments are helping make long-distance electric travel more practical.

However, TomTom believes slower charging infrastructure at homes, workplaces and other long-stay locations still requires further development to make EV ownership accessible to a broader population.

Slow charging remains important challenge for mass adoption

While fast-charging infrastructure has advanced quickly, TomTom believes access to slower charging remains uneven.

Home and workplace charging can provide lower-cost and more convenient energy for drivers, but access depends heavily on where people live and park.

The company argues that wider availability and simpler management of slow charging will be important if EV adoption is to reach the broadest possible customer base.

Vehicle-to-grid and vehicle-to-load technologies create new opportunities

TomTom is also monitoring the development of vehicle-to-grid (V2G) and vehicle-to-load (V2L) technologies.

These capabilities could allow electric vehicles to operate as mobile energy-storage assets, supplying power back to the electricity grid or powering external devices.

TomTom sees potential benefits including improved grid resilience, greater personal energy security and increased utilisation of vehicle batteries.

However, the company believes these services will need intelligent management to ensure they do not interfere with drivers’ mobility requirements.

AI could anticipate charging requirements before drivers ask

Looking further ahead, TomTom plans to combine its location data with AI-based services capable of learning individual driving patterns and anticipating future needs.

The concept could allow an intelligent system to recognise regular commuting schedules, planned journeys and periods when a vehicle is normally unused, then adjust charging recommendations or behaviour accordingly.

TomTom envisages systems capable of ensuring a vehicle is sufficiently charged before a regular morning commute, prioritising solar charging on days when the vehicle is rarely driven, or adjusting charging strategy automatically ahead of a planned holiday.

Drivers would retain the ability to override automated decisions, with TomTom positioning AI as a means of reducing the time and cognitive effort required to manage an electric vehicle rather than removing driver choice.

New AI models target more accurate EV range predictions

Battery range prediction is one of the areas TomTom expects AI to improve significantly.

Current systems generally use multivariable mathematical models to estimate remaining range, but real-world energy consumption can be affected by rapidly changing conditions.

TomTom is developing AI-based learning models trained on actual vehicle usage data to account more effectively for factors including weather, roof boxes, towing, tyre pressure, open windows and individual driving styles.

The company said these improvements are expected to become available by the end of 2026 through a new and revised API.

TomTom aims to make EV ownership increasingly effortless

TomTom believes the next chapter of electric mobility will be defined less by whether drivers can locate charging infrastructure and more by how seamlessly the vehicle and its digital services manage everyday mobility.

Its long-term objective is to combine location intelligence, AI, charging information and personalised services so that electric vehicle ownership requires progressively less active management from the driver.

As EV adoption moves further into the mainstream, the company sees accessible charging, affordability, reliable data and trusted automation as central to making electric driving as routine as conventional mobility.

About TomTom:

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We are the mapmaker bringing it all together to build the world’s smartest map. We provide location data and technology to drivers, carmakers, businesses and developers. Our application-ready maps, routing, real-time traffic, APIs and SDKs empower the dreamers and doers to move our world forward. Headquartered in Amsterdam with 3,300 employees around the globe, TomTom has been shaping the future of mobility for over 30 years.

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SOURCE: TomTom