There is a general agreement of views that the very first navigation solutions for cars were released in the market in 1989, and the use of self-driving vehicles on roads may spread by 2030. However, other sources state that a similar system existed way back in 1981, that of Honda, a system called Electro Gyro-Cator based neither on satellites, nor on GPS.

The system created in 1989 consisted of a compass and sensors, and the information they produced was displayed on stored maps. The product could be purchased for 7000 West German marks. New models introduced in the mid-1990s cost 4000 West German marks, and already offered GPS. The first customers included the postal service of West Germany, various emergency services, and the Los Angeles fire department. Development work in Europe and Japan ran simultaneously with Bosch eventually taking the lead in the rivalry.