Mapping Uber’s Future

Behind every successful Uber ride is a technology many of us take for granted: maps.

Mobile maps and GPS allow us to match you with the closest available driver, navigate the fastest path to your destination, and give you an accurate ETA. Accurate maps are at the heart of our service and the backbone of our business.

Existing maps are a good starting point, but some information isn’t that relevant to Uber, like ocean topography. There are other things we need to know a lot more about, like traffic patterns and precise pickup and dropoff locations. Moreover, we need to be able to provide a seamless experience in parts of the world where there aren’t detailed maps – or street signs.

The ongoing need for maps tailored to the Uber experience is why we’re doubling down on our investment in mapping. Last year we put mapping cars on the road in the United States. From today they will be on the road in London and in the coming weeks and months the mapping cars will move to other Uber cities in the UK. Our efforts are similar to what other companies including Apple and TomTom are already doing around the world.

The street imagery captured by our mapping cars will help us improve core elements of the Uber experience, like ideal pick-up and drop-off points and the best routes for riders and drivers. And here in London it will also help us improve routing for innovations like our car-sharing option uberPOOL.

You can find more information on Uber’s mapping programme at: uber.com/info/mapping/

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