Amap users can leverage the platform's high-tech navigation tools in China and abroad. Photo credit: Alibaba Group
If you need to get from A to B in China, Amap will probably help you find your way.
Amap appears on your cell phone and in on your car’s dashboard. It helps you avoid a traffic jam, find a charging station for your electric car and book a table at the local restaurant.
Like Google Maps, Amap is a navigation tool based on a mobile digital map and real-time traffic information in China. Other mobile apps plug into Amap across industries, including local services, ride-hailing and social networking, which end users can access directly through Amap’s open platform.
Within the Alibaba Group ecosystem, Amap is used by logistics player Cainiao and payment platform Alipay. Amap users can make table reservations on Koubei or order food with Ele.me. Likewise, users book rides during the holidays, view Fliggy’s travel recommendations, find hotels and book tickets on the app.
How did Amap get where it is today? Explore its journey below:
September, 2023
Upgrade time
Amap upgrades to version 13, which includes innovative features to provide detailed travel decision-making references and convenient navigation services.
Amap also launches its “World Map” product, allowing users to plan routes and access navigation services abroad. Additionally, users can illuminate the countries and cities they pass through based on their trip location records.
April, 2023
Up around the bend
Amap releases a mobile-end feature which provides curve meeting warnings.
It automatically activates when users navigate through complex curved road sections, providing information about oncoming vehicles through voice prompts and dynamic 3D imagery. It helps users anticipate blind spots ahead, reducing potential safety hazards during driving.
June quarter, 2023
Green means go
Amap releases new features, such as telling a driver how many seconds until a traffic light turns green.
March, 2023
Extra hot, no whip
Amap teamed up with Starbucks to offer a curbside coffee pickup service along their route.
September, 2022
Class is in session
Amap rolls out an upgrade with AI-powered city mapping features that transport users into another dimension.
It integrates real-time visual information, such as weather and traffic, into its 3D viewing mode. A digital creation named Xiao Gao Lao Shi – or Teacher Gao – is included with the latest Amap upgrade. The human lookalike accompanies users through the 3D cities and transforms the map-reading process into a conversation.
October, 2021
Stay in your lane
Amap’s lane-level navigation launches. This product accurately identifies the specific lane where the user is driving during the navigation process, in order to provide more detailed guidance.
September, 2020
From A to B, sustainably
Amap unveils a green travel incentive mechanism to encourage users to choose public transportation, cycling, walking, and other environmentally friendly modes of transportation. It calculates the corresponding carbon emissions reduction and rewards users with discounts and other benefits.
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