As we prepare to leave 2021, there are many things that we’re thankful for. First and foremost, we are thankful for you: our customers, our developer community, and our global Mapbox team. When Mapbox was founded, our vision was to help people make informed decisions with data-rich map visualizations. Since then, together with all of you, we have been able to use the power of our platform to change how the world moves through our newly defined vision — powering navigation for people, packages, and vehicles everywhere. 

From new Mapboxers joining the company to the fantastic customers we've onboarded this year — 2021 has been packed full of highlights. We wanted to share some of our key moments with you in a Mapbox Year in Review recap.

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From all of us at Mapbox, we hope you have a happy holiday and a prosperous new year!

1. General Motors launches with Mapbox Dash

General Motors is the first car maker to adopt Mapbox Dash, a turnkey app that automotive customers can just drop into the dash of their car and add beautiful maps, live traffic, music, and voice control all tailored to the brand and purpose of the model. Dash is a core component of GMs investment into in-vehicle software services, a business that GM CEO Mary Barra estimates will make up 50% of the company's revenue in the future.

2. 5 billion Strava activities mapped in 3D mode

Athletes can now enable “3D mode” and experience the runs, rides, and activities they upload in the third dimension. It’s available with any map layer and really stands out when paired with the beautiful imagery upgrades of Mapbox’s satellite maps.

3. Instacart delivers more accurately with Mapbox Search for order address validation

Instacart now uses Mapbox Search to ensure orders get to the right place. Customers enter their addresses quickly with autocomplete and address validation helps flag and fix typos so orders make it to the right place on-time. Instacart has been using Mapbox to power their order tracking interface, helping customers understand exactly when their order will be delivered, thus reducing support requests and increasing customer satisfaction.‍‍

4. Electronic Horizon Launches

Mapbox Horizon predicts the path a vehicle will take and gives drivers relevant roadway information like speed limits, incidents, and congestion. Not only can automotive customers use this feature to improve driver comfort and safety in their vehicles, but for the first time, iOS and Android developers have access to this service to implement sophisticated driver warnings based on their own data.

5. Shoutouts from Doug Demuro on Mapbox-powered navigation systems from Toyota and Rivian

In 2021, several automakers launched vehicles featuring Mapbox technology. YouTuber Doug Demuro gave multiple shoutouts to them saying the Mapbox-powered navigation in Rivian's R1T is "one of the few navigation systems I've seen that's easier than using your phone." And, in his review of the new Toyota Tundra he said, "the map is easy to use. Everything in this infotainment system is really easy, really responsive."

6. Suunto and REVER leverage Maps SDK v10 for unmatched performance and 3D features

This production-ready release sets the foundation of our Maps SDK for the future: generated code in Swift and Kotlin, a full transition from 2D to 3D, improved offline support, and major rendering pipeline optimizations that deliver faster startup times and framerate performance are just a few of the major architectural changes introduced. Learn more about how REVER and Suunto use the SDK.

7. CNN uses new Adaptive Projections in Mapbox GL JS in California drought coverage

Mapbox GL JS now supports Adaptive Projections — a novel way to make interactive maps more accurate on a global scale, without any compromises to user experience, rendering quality or street-level precision. CNN is already leveraging this feature in their groundbreaking California snow and drought coverage.

8. COWBOY, Bosch, and Angell are powering the E-Bike Revolution with Navigation SDK v2

The latest version of the Mapbox Navigation SDK includes a flexible and versatile camera, offline routing, and 40% faster rendering performance. Customers like COWBOY, Bosch, and Angell are leveraging the Navigation SDK in their products to make E-Bikes even easier to use.