A leading world-wide map standard
for automotive grade use
The NDS Association is the nonprofit organization that provides the Navigation Data Standard (NDS) specification, which is a standard stored format for an automotive-grade map for in-vehicle applications including navigation, driver assistance, and automated driving.
The NDS Association consists of car manufacturers, application developers, map compilation companies, map providers, and online service providers.
The NDS Association was set up to reduce industry inefficiency in compiling multiple proprietary navigation map formats by defining a standard compiled map format that could be used across multiple navigation applications developed by different companies. NDS has enabled the separation of the stored map format from the application software that uses it. NDS is an advanced map format that supports an extensive set of application features, with geographic and functional modularity and incremental updating.
The NDS format has since been extended to support more than navigation applications, including driver assistance systems and automated driving systems, which will enable autonomously driven vehicles.
The purpose of the NDS Association is to further develop the standard and to promote its effective use.
NDS is continuously developed to respond to evolution of the automotive industry with such trends as connected cars, sensors, electrification, and automated vehicles. NDS must continuously improve its support for existing and emerging application requirements. NDS should support innovation in map-based automotive applications, which increasingly support online components.
Like any standard, the industry value of NDS is increased by wide and effective use. The NDS Association contributes to effective use by developing a good and well-described standard and by helping companies take advantage of that standard through e.g. certification of conformance to the standard.
The NDS Association backlog for further NDS development includes:
The Open Auto Drive Forum (OADF) is a platform for all stakeholders in the area of digital maps and autonomous driving.
On May 22, 2017 the 7th OADF meeting took place in Lincolnshire/Chicago, IL, USA (show summary). The 8th meeting of the forum will be hosted on Nov 13, 2017 in Tokyo, Japan. The registration is now open!
The NDS standard provides:
Compatibility and interoperability for the exchange of map data between NDS compliant systems is the key objective of the NDS format.
In today’s navigation systems the application software and the map data are combined. A separation of the two creates the desired flexibility between NDS compliant systems.
At present, a variety of different update media and several update mechanisms are available for several in-car systems or mobile clients. NDS provides a harmonised format for different systems, and flexibility regarding map composing and map update.
Beside the features mentioned above, NDS assures:
The Navigation Data Standard is also described in Wikipedia articles in Chinese, English, German and Japanese.
| EB street director | |
|---|---|
| Product picture |  |
| Brand |  |
| NDS versions | 2.3, 2.4 |
| Region | Worldwide, except for Japan and Korea |
| Year of release | 2006 / 2014 (NDS support) |
| More information | Link |
| EB robinos Predictor | |
|---|---|
| Brand | |
| NDS versions | 2.3, 2.4, 2.5 |
| More information | Link |
| EB robinos Provider for EB Assist ADTF | |
|---|---|
| Brand | |
| NDS versions | 2.3, 2.4, 2.5 |
| More information | Link |
| Compilation for Garmin NTG5E for Mercedes Benz Map Pilot | |
|---|---|
| Product picture |  |
| Brand |  |
| NDS versions | |
| Region | Worldwide including Europe, North America, China |
| Year of release | 2013 |
| Volkswagen – Discover Media | |
|---|---|
| Product picture |  |
| Brand | 
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| Suppliers |  |
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| NDS versions | 2.3.2 |
| Region | Worldwide including Europe, North America, China |
| Year of release | 2014 |
| Daimler Vehicles with Garmin MAP PILOT Entry Navigation | |
|---|---|
| Product picture |  |
| Brand |  |
| NDS versions | |
| Region | Europe, North-America |
| Year of release | C-Class March 2014, V-Class May 2014 |
| More information | Link |
| TomTom NDS Maps | |
|---|---|
| Product picture |  |
| Brand |  |
| NDS versions | 2.4 |
| Region | Global |
| Year of release | 2014 |
| More information | Link |
| TomTom Online Routing | |
|---|---|
| Product picture |  |
| Brand | |
| NDS versions | |
| Region | Global |
| Year of release | 2014 |
| More information | Link |
| TomTom Online Maps | |
|---|---|
| Product picture |  |
| Brand | |
| NDS versions | |
| Region | Global |
| Year of release | 2015 |
| More information | Link |
| Volvo SPA Infotainment | |
|---|---|
| Product picture |  |
| Brand |  |
| NDS versions | 2.2.1 |
| Region | Worldwide, except for Japan |
| Year of release | 2016 |
| More information | Link |
Navigation Data Standard (NDS) e.V.
c/o Dr. Markus Junker
Irion & Junker Projektmanagement GmbH
Am Rechental 17
D-66903 Gries, Germany
Phone: +49 6373 8941 43
Fax: +49 6373 8941 56
E-Mail:
Navigation Data Standard (NDS) e.V.
c/o EECF/2, Navigation
Volkswagen AG
Berliner Ring 2
D-38440 Wolfsburg, Germany
VR 200738, Amtsgericht Braunschweig
Tax Identification Number 19/218/13587
Navigation Data Standard (NDS) e.V.
Chairman Dr. Volker Sasse
NavInfo Co. Ltd.
F16-17, TowerA, Beijing Phoenix Place
A-5, Shuguang Xili, Chaoyang District
Beijing 100028, China
Phone: +49 941 30 79 50 90 (office Germany)
Mobile: +49 176 10 21 90 90
E-Mail:
Vice-Chairman Mr. Johannes Angenvoort
Garmin Würzburg GmbH
Beethovenstrasse 1a+b
97080 Würzburg, Germany
Phone: +49 931 3573 2143
E-Mail: