Blockchain continues to be the talk of the town. After the financial sector, it is now the turn of the automotive industry to take a close interest in this technology. So Porsche is curious: what would this technology look like if it were mixed with its cars?
It has caused a stir in the financial sector worldwide. Highly coveted, despite differing opinions on its use and the security it could guarantee. We are of course talking about blockchain! Once again, this technology is back in the spotlight, in a sector where it was not necessarily expected: the automotive sector! What is the extent of its capacity of use? No one can say at this point, but some major manufacturers like Porsche would like to try to apply it to their vehicles.
The manufacturer, based in Zuffenhausen, Germany, is currently conducting tests to learn more about a possible use of blockchain in a car. In collaboration with the Berlin-based start-up XAIN, Porsche is testing blockchain applications directly in its vehicles. Who would have thought that this technology could be combined with the automobile? Thus, Porsche is the first car manufacturer to successfully implement and test blockchain in such a setting.
How can blockchain be useful to the automotive industry?
First of all, a little reminder to better understand how this technology can be useful to the automotive industry. What is blockchain? This technology is based on the transmission and verification of information stored on a decentralized database, distributed and encrypted on all the machines that use it. This particular feature makes it unbreakable, or at least extremely secure. A great asset that can be used for many purposes.
Let’s go back to Porsche, which is trying to find an application for this technology in cars! As mentioned, this technology is highly secure, which is of great interest to Porsche, which could use it in various ways to secure its vehicles in the future. The connected car is the focus of attention, with new features such as car sharing, which is certainly very practical, but also risky. This would be the context in which blockchain would come into play. For now, the firm is focusing on locking and unlocking the vehicle, temporary loans of the vehicle via an app, and a car-sharing platform.
“We can use blockchain to transfer data more quickly and securely, to give our customers greater peace of mind in the future, whether they are using their vehicle, parking or need a parcel delivery agent, temporary access to the vehicle. We are translating innovative technology into direct customer benefits,” explains Olivier Döring, financial strategist at Porsche.
Porsche hopes to go further by using this technology to encrypt autonomous driving systems. If this is achieved, it could be very useful in preventing theft, hacking and remote control. To be followed with great attention …
