Gone are the days when we wondered what the trap was behind freebies. "When it's free, you're the product?" "No!", immediately retort David and Jonathan Tuchbant, the two brothers at the head of Roole, a car insurance company that is financing this project. "We are not an advertising agency, nor are we a tech company that aggregates data to sell it," they explain to Parisien. The tone is set. Roole Map, a French nod to the expression "Roule ma poule," aims to be a virtuous alternative, designed for drivers and not for advertisers.
More than a route, contextualized information
So, what does this French David have that the American Goliaths don't? Its true ambition is to make drivers "a little more knowledgeable behind the wheel". No more screens that turn scarlet and tell you you're one hour late without further explanation. "Our ambition is to be able to explain to them whether it's because of a storm, a strike, or the Tour de France," explains Jonathan Tuchbant. Real-time information, like a radio service like Autoroute FM, but available everywhere and for everyone.
To achieve this, the application relies on government data and local partnerships (Girève, Chargeprice, etc.), offering a comparison of fuel prices, tolls, electric charging, and even parking. The application aims to give drivers all the tools they need to optimize their journeys and their budget.
A business model based on awareness
But how can such a comprehensive service survive without direct revenue? Therein lies the trick, and a certain form of transparency. Roole Map is a showcase. "Some companies spend huge advertising budgets to be identified, we aim to ensure our reputation by being useful to everyone," explain the founders. The application is a loss leader to raise awareness of their main business, the Roole car supplement and its paid services. An "extra-business" strategy that allows them to promise that advertising will never invade our browsing screens.
Contrary to what we can read on the web, the application is not completely "new" and the first ones made available on the stores (App Store and Google Play) date back to the end of 2022. However, it is with the approach of the 2025 summer holidays that Roole Map is making headlines again. It has 120,000 downloads and a target of 500,000 monthly users within five years. The application has been well received on the Apple stores (4.7 stars and 659 ratings) and Google (4.3 stars and 513 reviews), although some flaws remain. Users are talking about a still partial parking listing or the absence of a landscape mode (coming soon, the developers assure).
In an ultra-competitive sector, Roole Map wants to attract with a different vision. That of a "citizen GPS" which could well find its place on your vacation route this summer, even if the competition is tough with Waze, Google Maps or Tomtom Go.
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