It goes without saying that technology evolves at a rapid pace. This is also true for the automotive industry, which is one of the most competitive in the world. With this in mind, it’s getting increasingly difficult to pioneer something that no one else has, but Lamborghini may have just achieved a revolution in-car connectivity, as they are equipping every version of their bestseller – the Lamborghini Huracan – with an innovative GPS system called “what3words.”
This revolution in connectivity aimed to solve the problem with inaccuracy. You have probably experienced the occasional difficulties in finding an address. Because of this, Chris Sheldrick – CEO and co-founder – and a friend of his who is a gifted mathematician, recognized that they needed to make a new system that had nothing in common, with traditional GPS systems.
The idea was to come up with a precise geolocation method that was as accurate as possible, without the complexity of coordinates. The solution was to “divide the world into three-meter squares” – 57 trillion of them to be exact. The name “what3words” comes from the fact that “there are enough combinations of three dictionary words, to name every three-meter square in the world uniquely, with just three words”.
The creators of “what3words” used 40,000 words, which make for 67 trillion possible combinations. What’s even more impressive about the system is that the creators are aiming to do the same thing in as many languages as possible and not just in English. The idea of “what3words” was always to become an accurate GPS system with global application.
Luca Giardino – Lamborghini’s Head of Connectivity - states that “the future of mobility demands the most advanced technology, and that is why today Lamborghini is announcing the roll-out of what3words”. While the system is already used by other companies, such as Mercedes-Benz, Ford, Hermes, Addison Lee, and others, Lamborghini I is the first car manufacturer to feature “what3words” enabled by Alexa.
In case you are wondering how the system works, a good example would be to tap the navigation screen and say “Alexa, navigate to what3words “usual trying highs”, which would give an accurate 10-foot (3 by 3 meters) cube with the best view of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge.
What3words makes location search less distracting for drivers while minimizing errors. In a conference, from 2017, co-founder Chris Sheldrick mentions how certain African countries, like Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire, and Djibouti, which used to have many unaddressed areas are directly adopting the 3-word method of addressing.
The application is free to download for iOS and Android and works offline in an ever-increasing number of languages. This makes “what3words” reliable even in areas with a less-than-ideal data connection.
The Lamborghini Huracan is the “baby” of the Lamborghini lineup. However, you could say it’s also the backbone of the company’s lineup, as it’s the best-selling mid-engine Lamborghini. As to why only the Huracan adopts the “what3words” system, it’s probably because the Lamborghini Aventador is getting replaced in 2023, while the updated Lamborghini Urus is coming out in December 2021. However, we don’t know whether it will feature the innovative GPS system or not.
