Inrix is to launch its new on street parking locator, appearing first on BMW ConnectedDrive vehicles.

Inrix On-Street Parking answers questions for drivers including:

• Where can I park? With availability updated hourly, quickly identify streets with the best chances of finding a parking spot.
• How much will parking cost? Information on pricing, parking/permit restrictions, policy rules (free vs. paid times/days).
• Is there a car park nearby? When on-street parking is unavailable, drivers can be directed to one of more than 80,000 off-street parking locations in Europe and North America. The service provides pricing and availability information, ability to compare locations by distance and price as well as locate the nearest entrance.

BMW and Inrix demonstrated the system in a BMW i3 at the Telematics Automotive 2015 conference showing how location, local rules and pricing, real-time traffic, transactions and mobile data can be analysed through the platform to show which streets have available parking.

“What good is an autonomous vehicle if it can’t find a place to park after it drops you off?” said Bryan Mistele, President and CEO, Inrix.

“As we connect cars to smarter cities, Inrix On-Street Parking fills a critical gap that addresses the growing challenge of traffic and parking in cities worldwide.”

Initially is available in Seattle, Vancouver BC, San Francisco, Amsterdam, Cologne, and Copenhagen, the service will expand to cover 23 cities by the end of the year.