Benchmarking the accuracy of parking data

Parkopedia says significant proportion of data provided by alternative providers is incomplete or inaccurate

Parkopedia claims its parking data is both the most accurate and comprehensive across the US and Europe.

The connected car information specialist has published Parking Data Benchmarking Reports, which compares the quality and coverage of Parkopedia data against two alternative data providers – Google and Inrix.

The research assesses the breadth and accuracy of data provided at 8,000 cities in 20 cities across eight countries – the US, Germany, France, UK, Italy, Spain, Belgium and Czechia. 

The latest edition of the benchmarking reports covers new cities, reflecting the most in-demand parking locations and offers significant value to mapping providers and OEMs (carmakers) by highlighting differences in data coverage and accuracy between rival providers.

This is the second iteration of this definitive research, demonstrates Parkopedia’s Ground Truth Testing (GTT) processes, with the company achieving 99% coverage in Europe and as high as 98% coverage in the US. 

Accuracy averaged 99% in the EU and 95% in the US, with other providers as low as 45% in tested locations. 

Parkopedia said the reports highlight how often drivers receive inaccurate location information from providers, which can cause distinct problems for drivers by directing them to the wrong locations or to inaccessible locations, for instance, or they may simply lack data for locations altogether. 

Parkopedia chief operating officer, Hans Puvogel said: “A combination of significant gaps in coverage and distinct issues with the accuracy of data listed for alternative providers is likely to cause frustration for drivers, as motorists cannot rely upon the data. This is expected to become more problematic in the coming years as in-car payments become increasingly in demand with the rise of automated solutions. 

“A lack of data can prevent the ability to transact for connected car services such as parking and charging, while inaccurate data can create greater problems, introducing the possibility of failed transactions or payments being made for the wrong parking or charging location for drivers. This can result in unexpected parking fines or failed charges, creating both stress and significant additional admin to resolve avoidable issues.

“Data accuracy and coverage are essential for providing a seamless connected car experience for drivers. However, this is even more crucial as in-car payments gain momentum and drivers expect their vehicles to be able to streamline the process of finding, navigating to and paying for driving-related services, such as parking and charging. 

“The move towards Agentic AI and an autonomous future further increases the need for complete and high-quality data, as vehicles must be able to establish localisation, and exactly which service they are paying for and the relevant restrictions. Drivers expect connected services to make their lives easier, but this is only possible when such services are built upon complete and rigorously verified data sets.”

Parkopedia is part of global mobility technology group Arrive.

Download the full reports