Lotus and what3words announce partnership
Navigation technology company what3words has announced a partnership with Lotus on future models, starting with the world’s first British electric hypercar – the Evija.
With Lotus integrating what3words directly into all future models from next year, drivers will be able to use what3words’ technology to discover journeys, find a parking spot, or meet up with fellow drivers.
This year, drivers will get an early look at the tech in action, with what3words coming to the Lotus Evija app. The Lotus Evija is a lightweight all-electric hypercar that, Lotus claims, ‘pushes boundaries of design and performance’.
Using what3words in the Evija drivers app allows routing to and from what3words addresses, with turn-by-turn navigation displayed on the driver’s instrument cluster, alongside performance indicators that detail downforce, tyre pressures, energy consumption or lap times.
what3words has divided the world into 3 metre squares and given each square a unique combination of three words: a what3words address. For example, hotspots.punters.race is the what3words address for the entrance of Lotus’ headquarters in Hethel, Norfolk, where an exclusive production run of Evija will be built.
what3words claims it eliminates many of the frustrations encountered by drivers when entering regular street addresses, which are often long and include non-dictionary words or strings of numbers that are hard to manually enter into navigation systems. Every 3 metre square on earth has a unique address made of three simple words, offering ease of input combined with the reassurance that drivers will arrive in exactly the right place.
Knowing exactly where to find public charging points is another major benefit. With what3words addresses can be added to the Lotus in-app charge point map so, the company claims, drivers can enjoy their journey without the additional forward planning associated with travelling in electric vehicles.
Says Chris Sheldrick, co-founder and CEO of what3words:
“The precision and reliability of what3words addresses mean setting a destination is quick and easy, ensuring drivers get to exactly where they want to go. We’re proud to be working with Lotus, a legendary British brand, and to be a part of their journey towards revolutionising the electric hypercar scene.”
Adds Matt Windle, MD of Lotus Cars:
“The Lotus Evija marks the beginning of a thrilling new chapter for Lotus and our future vision of iconic, game-changing road and racing cars designed and engineered for the driver. With the addition of what3words, we’re bringing the most innovative and driver-centric location technology to our on-board systems.”
