The alliance is part of a project related to the framework of MOBI. The companies hope to begin investigations later this month
Through a press release published by the Japanese news agency, Nikkei Asian Review, the car manufacturing companies, Honda and General Motor (GM), have made an alliance to conduct research about smart grids and the internal operability in electric vehicles using blockchain technology.
The research project is being programmed as part of the so-called framework of the International Automotive Consortium, information technologies and other companies. Mobility Open Blockchain Initiative (MOBI) is made up of more than 30 members from different areas related to the points to be dealt during the entire project framework.
The members are promoting the sustained development of blockchain technology in the automotive industry. These members include recognized companies such as IBM, Hiperledger, IOTA, Bosch, among others.
It was a big surprise that the Japanese car company, Honda, joined the project since last April, becoming the first Asian automotive company in the team. The research is expected to start later this month and more partners will join the project.
The research will seek to facilitate and improve the processes that help develop ways to recover information during the stabilization phases of the energy supply, as well as to determine if electric cars can be used in smart grids in order to stabilize energy recovery. These investigations will help strengthen the advantages of the next generation of smart vehicles.
The central idea of improving the energy supply is to allow users to earn scores, which can later be traded in the network for improvements in some rates, for storing or decreasing the energy flow in the battery of the user’s vehicle, converting, this way, the car in an alternate source of income for the user.
Researchers not only seek to provide their users with electric vehicles and the possibility of having extra income for storing energy, but also, they will be able to solve certain storage problems of the batteries that are currently used in electric cars, since most of they use renewable energy such as solar or wind energy, which are frequently turn out to be unstable and inaccurate.
GM Betting for Blockchain Technology
It is not the first time that the General Motor automobile company embarks on the development of blockchain technology to conduct its processes. Last April, as part of the framework of the MOBI, GM and BMW were collaborating to bring to reality an alternative to exchange information of their autonomous vehicles using blockchain as a means of service.
In the same vein, last February it was announced that the company made an alliance with the startup Spring Labs, which is specialized in blockchain solutions, so that an identity verification system could be developed to improve the security of all its data. The development in the automotive area continues surprising thanks to blockchain technology and new alliances of this nature. The path of this platform has just begun.
By María Rodríguez
