Share this article

Ford Test Driving Blockchain for Energy-Efficient Vehicles

Ten vehicles have been outfitted with geofencing and blockchain capabilities to monitor their fuel efficiency in low-emission zones.

Updated Sep 13, 2021, 11:34 a.m. Published Oct 15, 2019, 6:45 p.m.
ford logo truck

Ford is giving a little more road to a blockchain pilot program aimed at improving fuel efficiency.

On Tuesday, the auto-giant said it will use blockchain to monitor and automatically implement fuel efficient driving modes for a fleet of vehicles in Cologne, Germany. This is part of a wider pilot program also happening in London and Valencia, Spain.

STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today. See all newsletters

In collaboration with the City of Cologne, Ford outfitted 10 plug-in hybrid electric vehicles with cellular modems that enable geofencing. As the vehicles enter low-emission zones, they will automatically switch to electric-drive.

The metadata, such as when the vehicle enters or exits a zone as well as the miles driven, will be recorded to a blockchain.

The pilot addresses the issues municipal authorities face in administering and implementing low-emissions zones by transmitting data to officials in real-time.

“Security, trust and transparency of emissions data are of paramount importance to all stakeholders in this project, and are key for our vision of cleaner air in the city,” said Gunnar Herrmann, chairman of the management board, Ford-Werke GmbH.

The pilot is part of SmartCity Cologne, a collaborative program to promote climate protection and energy transition.

On Monday, CoinDesk reported that 5 major automakers including BMW, Honda and Ford are working with the Mobility Open Blockchain Initiative (MOBI) to implement automatic payments for tolls, parking meters and similar vehicular payments.

Ford photo By Philip Lange/Shutterstock

Más para ti

State of the Blockchain 2025

State of the Blockchain 16:9

L1 tokens broadly underperformed in 2025 despite a backdrop of regulatory and institutional wins. Explore the key trends defining ten major blockchains below.

Lo que debes saber:

2025 was defined by a stark divergence: structural progress collided with stagnant price action. Institutional milestones were reached and TVL increased across most major ecosystems, yet the majority of large-cap Layer-1 tokens finished the year with negative or flat returns.

This report analyzes the structural decoupling between network usage and token performance. We examine 10 major blockchain ecosystems, exploring protocol versus application revenues, key ecosystem narratives, mechanics driving institutional adoption, and the trends to watch as we head into 2026.

More For You

Bitcoin rises above $89,000, showing rare gain in U.S. trading

BTCUSD (TradingView)

Open interest data suggests the advance is likely short-covering, rather than fresh longs entering the market.

What to know:

  • Bitcoin was trading higher during U.S. market hours, marking a notable shift after a month in which BTC fell roughly 20 percent cumulatively while American stocks were open.
  • Declining open interest suggests the move is driven by short-covering rather than fresh leveraged longs.
  • Broader crypto markets remain fragile as ETF outflows, tax-related positioning, and light holiday liquidity pressure prices.