TomTom Enhances In-Car Navigation with New Amazon and SoundHound AI Partnerships

2026-01-06 companies

Las Vegas, Tuesday, 6 January 2026.
TomTom’s alliances with Amazon and SoundHound AI introduce “agentic AI” to dashboards, enabling drivers to manage complex navigation and EV charging through natural, multi-layered conversation.

From Safety Compliance to Intelligent Conversation

Following the January 2 unveiling of lane-level mapping tools designed to help automakers scale automated driving features [6], TomTom (TOM2) has pivoted its focus at CES 2026 toward the driver’s in-cabin experience. On January 6, the mapping specialist announced separate collaborations with SoundHound AI (SOUN) and Amazon, aiming to replace rigid voice commands with fluid, conversational interaction [1][2]. While the earlier announcement addressed regulatory compliance and safety via the new ADAS SDK [3], these new partnerships target the growing demand for intuitive, “agentic” AI assistants that can handle complex, multi-step requests while driving [1]. This strategic shift underscores a move from purely functional navigation to a more interactive, brand-controlled digital cockpit.

The SoundHound AI Integration

The collaboration with SoundHound AI introduces a “multi-agent” approach, integrating the TomTom AI Agent with SoundHound’s voice AI platform [1]. This system allows drivers to perform sophisticated tasks—such as planning routes with multiple stops, finding specific EV charging stations based on time constraints, or asking for local recommendations—through natural dialogue rather than specific keywords [1]. According to Manuela Locarno Ajayi, TomTom’s SVP for Product Engineering, this integration proves automakers can deploy a cohesive, brand-owned solution without sacrificing technical flexibility [1]. The pre-integrated solution is designed to reduce time-to-market for OEMs, offering real-time suggestions based on traffic and hazards [1].

Expanding the Ecosystem with Amazon

Simultaneously, TomTom strengthened its ecosystem by integrating its navigation stack with Amazon’s Alexa Custom Assistant [2]. Utilizing the Alexa+ architecture, this solution enables automakers to immediately implement a voice interface where drivers can manipulate waypoints and access real-time charging data using natural language [2]. This development parallels a similar move by competitor HERE Technologies, which also announced an Alexa Custom Assistant partnership on January 5 [4], signaling a fierce industry-wide battle to dominate the software-defined vehicle dashboard. TomTom’s integration specifically focuses on reducing driver distraction by streamlining how users interact with navigation and EV data [2].

Showcase and Future Outlook

These innovations are currently being demonstrated at CES 2026 in the West Hall, booth W311–312 [1][2]. While the immediate focus is on the deployment of these conversational agents, TomTom is also scheduled to present further insights into the intersection of mapmaking and autonomous driving evolution on Wednesday, January 7 [5]. This dual approach—securing the underlying map data for autonomy while refining the human-machine interface—positions TomTom to address both the engineering and consumer-facing challenges of modern automotive design.

Sources

Artificial Intelligence Automotive Technology