Tmap Mobility has secured Chinese premium electric vehicle brand Zeekr as a customer for its 'Tmap Auto' service. This development is expected to provide further momentum to Tmap Mobility, which is currently chasing Hyundai Autoview in the in-vehicle navigation market.
According to industry sources on the 11th, Zeekr Korea has decided to equip its upcoming 'Zeekr 7X', scheduled for release in the second half of the year, with Tmap Mobility's in-vehicle navigation service, Tmap Auto. Zeekr Korea is preparing the installation so that users receiving the vehicles can use it immediately. The Zeekr 7X will offer pre-order benefits until August 23. It is scheduled for official release thereafter.
Tmap Mobility has not disclosed the details of the contract. However, the Zeekr logo appears on the 'Partner Companies' list on the Tmap Auto introduction page of the Tmap Mobility website.
Tmap Mobility's growth rate, which had been focused primarily on increasing market share in imported vehicles, is expected to accelerate. Currently, the in-vehicle navigation market sees Tmap Mobility chasing Hyundai Autoview. Hyundai Autoview effectively holds a monopoly on domestic car brands such as Hyundai Motor, Kia, and Genesis. Tmap Mobility supplies Tmap Auto to more than 20 domestic and international brands including Porsche, Volvo, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Polestar, and Maserati. Tmap Auto has also been installed in some Hyundai Motor and Kia vehicles. As of February, the cumulative number of vehicles equipped with Tmap Auto surpassed 1 million units.
The pace of expansion is also accelerating. GM Korea began applying Tmap Auto this January, starting with the GMC Acadia. Porsche Korea has decided to install Tmap Auto-based navigation in its 2027 models of the 911th, Panamera, Cayenne, and Taycan. Mercedes-Benz Korea will also standardly equip the new electric GLC with Tmap Auto.
Tmap Auto is an attractive option for global automakers. To meet the expectations of Korean drivers, a high level of localization is required, making it difficult to rely on Hyundai Autoview, a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Group. An industry official explained, "Koreans seek navigation services that go beyond simple route guidance, demanding highly sophisticated features such as real-time fast route finding and wait time prediction." The official added, "If users are not even slightly satisfied, they turn on navigation apps on their smartphones instead of using the vehicle's built-in navigation system."
The growth trend of Tmap Auto is steep. Tmap Auto's sales increased by more than 30% year-on-year last year. First-quarter sales this year also rose by 40% compared to the same period last year. Tmap Mobility faces a critical need for Tmap Auto's growth amid fierce competition with navigation apps such as Naver (NAVER) and Kakao. The company is also preparing an AI agent based on large language models (LLM) that allows users to find routes and control vehicles through conversation in the car, in collaboration with specific global brands.
Meanwhile, the Zeekr 7X is a mid-size pure electric SUV and marks Zeekr's first official model launch in Korea. Domestic prices have been set at approximately 52.99 million won for the Pro, 59.99 million won for the Max, and 69.99 million won for the Ultra. Despite possessing technology comparable to global models like Tesla, its affordable pricing has made it a hot topic among car enthusiasts. In fact, reservations exceeded 1,000 units within just one month of the start of domestic pre-orders. This marks the second case of a Chinese brand adopting Tmap Auto, following BYD, which launched passenger cars in Korea last year.
in TECH
