- Porsche has updated its Roads route planning app with AI that looks for winding or scenic roads; to add to the AI input, the app’s 180,000 users can rate routes, create their own and add helpful tips.
- The app was launched in 2019, but has now been upgraded with artificial intelligence that can help find paths to match the user-entered specifications.
- Route planning connects directly to any vehicle equipped with Apple CarPlay; no Porsche needed.
Artificial intelligence isn’t quite at the level of HAL or Skynet yet, but the internet has adopted the technology as its new fun toy. Want to see art of every US president as a Pixar character, or challenge a chatbot to a Seinfeld episode in the style of Shakespeare? AI can do it for you. But Porsche thinks AI can be more than just a distraction. It’s a bet that AI can help you generate the drive of a lifetime.
Porsche launched its Roads app in 2019, and today the company says that this app currently has around 180,000 users. The latest update adds the ability for route planning that includes an algorithm to find the best way to get from point A to point B.
Great story! Many navigation apps already do this. But the difference with Porsche’s app is that the “best” here is defined by the operator. Where Google Maps takes driving time or fuel efficiency into account, Roads lets the user choose a more challenging or scenic route. If you want to tear things up in your 718 Cayman GTS 4.0, you set your profile to look for something curvy. Do you want to hit the sights on a trip across the continent in a Cayenne? Roads will help you find the best local spots you can’t miss.
Best of all, while the app currently only works on iPhones, not Android phones, you don’t need a Porsche. Roads will work on any car equipped with Apple CarPlay, so you can choose your route on your phone and then follow it on your car’s infotainment screen.
Along with the AI-generated routes, Roads also contains human-sourced elements. Users can rate the different routes, create their own and leave comments.
Where this technology really shines is not so much in your local area; if you’re an enthusiast, you’ve probably worked out all your favorite back roads. But if you’re on a road trip, or traveling in an unfamiliar area, the Roads app will help you find the good roads. It’s a free download, so make sure you have it with you on your next trip—and maybe pick up the upgrade at the rental counter for something a little more fun to drive.
Contributing Editor
Brendan McAleer is a freelance writer and photographer based in North Vancouver, BC, Canada. He grew up with his knuckles on British cars, came of age in the golden age of Japanese sport-compact performance, and started writing about cars and people in 2008. His particular interest is the intersection between humanity and machinery, be it the races. career of Walter Cronkite or the Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki’s half-century obsession with the Citroën 2CV. He taught both of his young daughters how to shift a manual transmission and is grateful for the excuse they provide to constantly buy Hot Wheels.
