In collaboration with the Berlin-based start-up XAIN, Porsche is currently testing blockchain applications directly in vehicles.

This is not the first instance of a luxury automotive company turning to blockchain to solve its problems. Mercerdes-Benz also announced earlier this year a project to drive sustainable supply chain using blockchain.

According a Porcshe spokesperson the objective behind them deploying blockchain is to enable data to transfer more securely and quickly.

Some of the specific applications tested include locking and unlocking the vehicle via an app, temporary access authorisations and new business models based on encrypted data logging. Porsche claims with blockchain opening and closing the car only takes 1.6 seconds — which is up to 6 times faster than before.

Autonomous Vehicles and Blockchain

Porsche is also exploring the use of blockchain for for driverless cars. With blockchain, the company claims that vehicle owners can make use of swarm data. What this means is that driverless cars can work, communicate and learn collectively rather than as individual units.

A network of driverless cars using swarm intelligence takes inspiration from nature and could for example replicate how a large colony of ants can maneuver around each other without causing any congestion.

A researcher from MIT working on this very area suggested that the use of blockchain could make the deployment of swarm intelligence more secure, autonomous, flexible and even profitable.

Featured image credit: Porsche