Contrary to what we can read in certain articles published on the web, TomTom does not intend to stop selling its GPS dedicated to individuals in France. Indeed, if the brand has indeed made the decision to suspend this activity in Canada and the United States, the demand for GPS is still sufficiently high in France and in Europe.
It all started with an article published on the AutoEvolution website. In a paper posted online on January 5, 2024, the specialized media announces important information: TomTom has decided to stop selling its GPS in the United States and Canada. Very quickly, the bad news spread, creating a wave of concern among users in other markets, particularly in France and Europe.
Especially since some of our colleagues have unequivocally assured that TomTom is definitively withdrawing from the GPS market, implying that the United States and Canada were only the first step before a total cessation of sales in other territories. But then, will the mapping company really abandon the marketing of GPS in France?
In order to clarify this matter, we contacted the French TomTom teams to find out more. During our telephone interview, TomTom France representative Vincent Martinier confirmed the company’s position regarding France and the European market: no, TomTom is not going to stop selling GPS.
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No, TomTom does not stop selling GPS in France
According to him, TomTom’s decision to end the marketing of GPS in the United States and Canada was taken several months ago in 2023, in response to the drastic drop in sales in these two markets. Why did the information come out so late? It’s a mystery according to the company representative.
On the other hand, there was never any question of applying this measure in France and other European markets. According to him, there is still a “recurring and significant demand for GPS“, particularly among truck drivers, but also among car owners who prefer to use a dedicated device rather than a smartphone app.
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A position that can be found in TomTom’s official statement on the subject: “TomTom remains strongly committed to its GPS sales business in its home market in Europe, where there continues to be continued demand for GPS units for cars, trucks and motorcycles. The brand reminds in passing that‘it launched in 2023 no less than 5 new GPSa sign of the good health of this activity on the European markets.
Latest product to date, the TomTom Go Discover (visible above) is presented as the GPS “the biggest, fastest and smartest of the brand”. Priced from €279, the GO Discover has a large 7-inch screen (5″ and 6″ also available) and offers 3 times faster map updates via built-in Wi-Fi than the previous generation . According to the spokesperson, other TomTom GPS devices should see the light of day in 2024 in France and Europe. So no worries.