See the road ahead: BMW’s curve-ahead view with eHorizon

At this year’s BUILD with Mapbox, attendees got a front-row seat to innovation on wheels. The spotlight was on BMW Group and its long-standing collaboration with Mapbox, brought to life through the new BMW ‘curve-ahead view’ — a navigation feature designed to help drivers see and feel what’s coming next on the road.

The session was hosted by David Sniderman, who heads product marketing for automotive and navigation at Mapbox, and featured guest speaker Konrad Hübner, Director of Navigation at BMW Group. Konrad’s presentation shares how BMW and Mapbox have turned years of partnership into innovation and new navigation features that blend technical precision with human-centered design. Watch the recording.

The origin of curve-ahead: From a simple idea to a smart assistant

According to Konrad, the story began about five years ago when BMW first partnered with Mapbox to reimagine in-car navigation. “Back then, the Mapbox stack was still mainly focused on web and mobile app use cases, so we knew we needed to [work together to] build something [specifically for automotive applications] that could help our vehicles understand what lies ahead on the road.”

That vision became curve-ahead, a feature that detects upcoming turns and helps drivers adjust their speed safely, especially in regions with winding roads, like the Alps. But beyond safety, the team wanted something that could also bring joy to driving.

“Curves can be fun. Our goal was to make driving feel a bit like rally driving, while still keeping it safe.” - Konrad Hübner, Director of Navigation at BMW Group

How curve-ahead works: Mapping the curves

The process starts with data science. BMW engineers analyzed road network data and driving pattern data to evaluate curvature, speed limits, and common driver behavior. This enabled them to identify curvy roads where drivers typically slow down — and curves that might catch someone off guard if approached too fast.

An Electronic Horizon powered by the Mapbox Navigation SDK

The curve ahead system references the car’s position against the digital road network in real time, using Mapbox “Electronic Horizon” data to provide a constantly updating picture of what lies ahead. Using the electronic horizon combined with information from other vehicle sensors and location data, the car knows where it is and what’s coming up — whether it’s a bend, intersection, or speed zone. The vehicle can then trigger alerts to the driver if the car determines current driving behavior might be unsafe for the upcoming maneuver. 

The Mapbox Navigation SDK and performant services in the Mapbox stack play a central role in making curve-ahead work by handling the heavy lifting, including real-time matching of road curve data to the map to know precisely where the curve lies, constantly tracking vehicle progression to the curve, and sending callback notifications when the vehicle approaches the curve.

Keeping the driver informed, not overwhelmed

Hübner emphasized that too many alerts can lead to “cognitive overload.” To avoid that, the curve-ahead feature only activates when needed — typically when the vehicle is within 200 meters of a curve. The interface then displays a visual cue showing the strength and distance of the turn, along with a color-coded safety indicator.

“If it glows yellow, it’s time to slow down. If it’s red, you’re probably pushing it,” Konrad explained. “It’s meant to be informative, not intrusive.”

A visual experience built for focus

BMW’s design for the curve-ahead view in the vehicle heads-up display (HUD) uses an ultra minimal map style — almost entirely blank except for the road ahead. The visual focus is on the immediate driving path, rendered using Mapbox runtime styling to create a 3D-like surface that aligns precisely with the car’s trajectory. As Konrad put it, “Sometimes less is more.”

Performance and reliability: Lessons from testing

While developing curve-ahead, BMW’s engineers learned a few things about balancing performance and precision. “In some regions, we found so many curves that the system struggled to track them all,” Konrad admitted. “We even caused a crash during testing — thankfully before it ever reached production.”

This experience led to new best practices for managing how many road objects are tracked simultaneously, ensuring that the system remains fast and reliable even in data-dense regions

An offline experience that still works

Because drivers often encounter winding roads in remote areas, offline support was a must. The feature uses predictive caching, part of Mapbox technology that downloads map tiles and curve data in advance. “We wanted it to work in the mountains, where connectivity is limited,” Konrad said. “So we cache ahead to make sure the system stays responsive.”

Human-centered design: Balancing safety and simplicity

BMW’s design philosophy for navigation is rooted in empathy for the driver. “We didn’t want to overload people with constant alerts,” Konrad explained. “Too many warnings cause drivers to tune them out. But too few, and you lose safety.”

Through field-testing, data analysis, and feedback from their driver-assistance team, BMW fine-tuned the curve-ahead view to show just enough — not too much, not too little. Drivers can even disable the feature if they prefer.

The automotive developer’s perspective: Why Mapbox?

When asked how BMW first decided to work with Mapbox, Konrad’s story was refreshingly candid: “I was sitting on my sofa one night,” he said, “searching for a navigation SDK that supported x86. That’s how I found Mapbox.”

Within three days, Konrad had a prototype running. The experience highlighted not only the ease and quality of the Mapbox technology, but the core philosophy that Mapbox is a developer-first platform that any developer can start building with right away without friction.

“Everything we use is public. You can download the same Mapbox Navigation SDK we use at BMW. What my team built sits on top of that, but the base is the same. That’s what I love about it — it’s stable, documented, and available for everyone.” - Konrad Hübner, Director of Navigation at BMW Group

Beyond curves: New possibilities with Mapbox

The curve-ahead view is just one of many features BMW is building using the Mapbox SDK. Other projects that Konrad included in his presentation include:

• Speed camera alerts: Integrated warnings based on local data.
• Pothole mapping: Warnings to help drivers protect tires and suspension.
• On-street parking visualization: Blue lines on the map show streets with the highest probability of finding an open spot.

All of these use the same underlying Mapbox features — road object matching, e-horizon tracking, and highly precise map geometry — showcasing the flexibility of the Mapbox SDK.

“It’s part of making the arrival experience smoother for drivers.” -Konrad Hübner, Director of Navigation at BMW Group

A partnership built on shared curiosity

BMW and Mapbox have grown their collaboration over five years, continuously improving both the SDK and the in-car experience. The curve-ahead feature is a milestone in that journey — a product of mutual trust, creativity, and a shared desire to make driving safer and more enjoyable.

As the session closed, David thanked Konrad for his time and insight, wishing BMW success with the upcoming vehicle launches. For everyone attending BUILD, it was a reminder that the best innovation happens when technology meets empathy and when the road ahead is as exciting as the one behind.

BUILD with Mapbox 2025 showcased more than a feature — it showed a partnership grounded in innovation and care for the driver. BMW’s curve-ahead view, powered by the Mapbox Navigation SDK, blends advanced map data with intuitive design to make driving both safer and more enjoyable. It’s proof that technology, when built thoughtfully, can bring people closer to the road — and help them see what’s coming next.