A new satellite navigation system developed by BMW AG and Philips Electronics NV is available as an optional extra in BMW’s 750i saloons, Reuter reports. It consists of an on-board computer with small screen and costs $4,400. Messages are received from orbiting satellites so the computer can pinpoint where the car is. The screen shows maps of any scale indicating the vehicle’s precise location, its chosen destination and the route it proposes you take. Both displays are backed up by the voice instructions given to the driver by the computer. The equipment is controlled by a single control knob. The computer reads the car’s speed and direction of travel and, by looking at the detailed maps on a CD-ROM disc in the car, fixes the car’s position to within 30 feet. At present, BMW’s system contains maps of most German towns on its CD-ROM. France will be added this year and BMW aims to have all Europe stored in the next few years. In future it will be able to monitor traffic reports on radio, warn motorists of traffic jams and guide them to other routes.
