New Roads
Building an AI-powered road trip platform that turns driver preferences into mapped, bookable routes across the UK and Europe
Miles of real-world testing
Miles of digital testing in simulated journeys
Registered users within 2 weeks of launch
- Software
- UI/UX
- Website design
New Roads
New Roads is an AI road trip planning app built for people who love driving, not just getting from A to B. It turns a simple idea – “I fancy a great drive this weekend” – into a practical, ready-to-follow plan, shaped around the things that matter to enthusiasts: the right roads, the right pace, the right stops, and the right experience.
The platform is designed to create hyper-personalised road trips across the UK and Europe. Users can plan routes based on their preferences, vehicle suitability and the type of journey they want, then build an itinerary that feels genuinely tailored rather than generic. Crucially, New Roads isn’t trying to replace the joy of discovery – it’s removing the admin that kills momentum: endless tabs, mismatched recommendations, conflicting maps, and the uncertainty of whether a route will actually work in the real world.
What makes New Roads different is how it brings multiple layers together. The app combines AI-led planning with third-party services covering hotels, vehicle types, road specifications and more, turning inspiration into a mapped route you can trust. It’s not “AI for the sake of it”. It’s AI used where it helps most: turning a set of preferences into a coherent plan, while real-world data keeps decisions grounded and practical.
The Challenge.
This wasn’t a simple build. New Roads needed a multi-layered platform where AI planning, real-world constraints and third-party data all meet – without the experience feeling brittle.
The biggest challenges were:
- Integrating multiple third-party services for hotels, vehicle types, road specifications and more
- Handling restrictions and limitations across existing technologies, without breaking the user journey
- Creating bespoke routing rules that blend AI decision-making with third-party routing and data services
- Getting consistent outputs from the “AI brain” across varied prompts and scenarios – this was harder than expected and required far more iteration than initially forecast
Project scope
EI designed the full web application experience end-to-end, then custom built the platform as a bespoke web application with a dedicated CMS and reusable IP powering the system.
The platform integrates multiple external services, including mapping and places data, accommodation providers, fuel data feeds (including pricing) and additional third-party services supporting road and vehicle logic.
Our approach
Design the experience around trust
Road trips are emotional, but the plan has to be practical. We designed the app flow to make it easy for users to set preferences, understand the logic, and feel confident the trip will work in the real world.
Make the AI feel familiar, so people trust it faster
AI can be powerful and still feel confusing. We designed the planning flow using familiar patterns - clear prompts, guided choices and visible outputs - so users feel in control. The aim was to reduce “AI anxiety”, keep the experience predictable, and make it easy to refine a trip without starting again.
Build a resilient integration layer
We implemented integrations across multiple third-party services and created custom workarounds where provider restrictions would otherwise block key features. The priority was reliability: predictable inputs, consistent outputs, and fewer edge-case failures.
Create bespoke routing rules
We developed bespoke routing rules that combine AI reasoning with third-party data and routing services. This allowed the platform to balance driver preference with real constraints such as vehicle suitability, road type, distance, timing and stop planning.
Build a resilient integration layer
We implemented integrations across multiple third-party services and created custom workarounds where provider restrictions would otherwise block key features. The priority was reliability: predictable inputs, consistent outputs, and fewer edge-case failures.
Build a platform the team can grow without developer dependency
We didn’t just ship features - we built a foundation. That meant a bespoke CMS and reusable IP so New Roads can add destinations, adjust rules, refine content and evolve the experience without the platform becoming fragile or hard to manage. The outcome is faster iteration, tighter control and a product that can scale as usage grows.
Thank you Karim Salama and all the team at E-Innovate Ltd you’ve been absolutely amazing and total legends.
