Google Maps turns 20, adds AI features, new countries to beat Apple

two decades ago, Google co-founder Larry Page was an idea that would forever change the way we navigate the world.

“Larry drove down some of these streets with a video camera, handed it to someone and said, ‘Hey, what can you do with this?'” said Maria Biggs, technical manager of Google Street View, a popular Google Maps feature. .

In a car equipped with the latest Street View camera, Biggs took CNBC on a ride near Google’s headquarters in Silicon Valley. First introduced in 2022, this is the first camera model that can be added to any car, rather than built into the car.

“We’re going to Hawaii with these next-generation camera systems because we don’t have to send the whole car,” Biggs said. “We can just put the camera system in a box and ship it over there and then rent a car while we’re there.”

Biggs said the new technology will allow Google to update data on some locations for the first time in 10 years.

“We’ll be able to easily move these cameras around and have more freshness in our maps,” she said.

With more than 2 billion monthly usersGoogle Maps is global the top navigation app. As Maps approaches its 20th anniversary in February, Google is working hard to maintain that lead with new cameras as well as generative artificial intelligence.

Smarter cameras allow Google to make updates in dozens of countries. It also displays at least three new ones—Bosnia and Herzegovina, Namibia, and Liechtenstein. Street View cameras are a big part of how Google gathers data for Maps, but it also relies on satellite and aerial imagery and information from more than 1,000 third-party sources, such as local governments and users. This massive data collection system enables Google to offer maps in more than 250 countries and territories.

Gemini also enables voice reporting in Waze, which Google bought in 2013 for $1.3 billion. This data is transmitted to Google Maps to warn drivers of both programs in real time about hazards.

“Our hope is that our products help people navigate more confidently and safely,” said Chris Phillips, vice president and general manager of Google Geo, the division that manages maps. He said Waze also helps improve road safety by “letting people know that a particular street has had problems in the past, and we’ve seen a marked change in people’s behavior when they drive on those streets.”

Waze is also known for offering alternative routes.

“We’re going to give you some more provocative maneuvers on the road,” Phillips said, when it comes to “beating traffic and getting around.”

But there are alternative routes traffic worsened in some areas where small roads may be ill-equipped to handle large numbers of vehicles.

Phillips said Google only uses public roads and works with local authorities to follow rules for specific streets.

“The use of these navigation apps, both built-in and on smartphones, is virtually ubiquitous,” said James Hodgson, who covers the automotive business at ABI Research.

Hodgson said one of the challenges now is that the technology is user-centric. To improve efficiency, he said, “we’re getting to the point where we have to have a broader view, almost at the fleet level.”

According to Hodgson, one of the main “perception barriers” Google has faced is related to data privacy.

Identifying information, such as faces and license plates, is blurred on Google Maps, and users can request blurring of the area in Street View to prevent risks such as property analysis by thieves.

Users can also turn off location history or delete places they’ve been. Certain places like abortion clinics or shelters for victims of domestic violence are automatically deleted. In December, Google began saving location history on devices instead of in the cloud which makes it tougher for access to location history.

How much Google spends and earns on Maps is shrouded in secrecy. Parent company Alphabet does not distribute Maps revenue reports by linking them to other services such as Search and YouTube. One of the only estimates comes from 2019 Morgan Stanley Maps revenue is forecast to grow from $2.95 billion in 2019 to $11 billion in 2023.

Revenue is largely based on a model that Google knows well: advertising.

“We’re always focused on giving people a result when they’re looking for a restaurant or a place that most closely matches what they’re looking for,” Phillips said. “And merchants have the ability to actually pay for advertising to be featured on that list.”

Google also makes money by selling a software interface with detailed data solar companies are looking for new customers. It has highly accurate roof images, measurements, heights and shading of about 480 million buildings in 40 countries.

Google sells access to its Map platform including companies Wayfair and Domino. Developers have used it to build more than 10 million websites and apps for things like food delivery, ridesharing, and real estate. For example, in 2019 Uber said this paid Google $58 million for display technology over the past three years.

Google Android Automotive operating systemwith Cards, also earns money. It powers the infotainment systems in many cars Polar star, Volvo, Honda, GM and Ford.

As robotaxis become mainstream, accurate mapping is critical, and this is a big opportunity for Google.

Waymo, owned by Alphabet dominated the US market for robotaxis in 2024, and commuters in Phoenix can get one of the fully autonomous cars directly from Google Maps. Robotaxi also presents the potential for a virtuous cycle.

“I think Waymo’s ambition, and what we’re seeing from almost every other autonomous vehicle platform provider, is to try to close that loop and use the same vehicles that benefit from the map to also contribute into creating that map,” Hodgson said. “This is the future of where mapping is going for autonomous driving.”

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