New research from auto giant Ford is demonstrating how emerging technologies like blockchain and geofencing can help improve urban air quality.
According to a press release by Ford, the auto company conducted a three-year study in London, Cologne, and Valencia exploring hybrid vehicles’ potential to improve air quality in big cities.
After analyzing more than 400,000 kilometers of data, Ford found that blockchain technology and dynamic geofencing could complement the use of plug-in-hybrid-electric vehicles (PHEVs) to reduce air pollution.
By utilizing blockchain and dynamic geofencing, hybrid vehicles can automatically switch to zero-emission mode when entering a low-emission zone, taking the decision to switch out of the driver’s hands.
In a trial in Cologne, blockchain was used to permanently record the times a vehicle enters or leaves a geofenced zone, ensuring the vehicle’s ‘green miles’ could be stored and shared among city authorities and fleet owners.
Connecting vehicles to emission data from various cities could help reduce air pollution and develop low-emission zone compliance, says Ford.
Of the more than 218,300 km covered by 20 vehicles in two cities, Ford found that almost 50% (105,000 km) were driven using electric power, rising to more than 70% within geofenced zones.
Ford Europe director of enterprise connectivity Mark Harvey asserts blockchain and dynamic geofencing could play a major role in transforming cities.
“Our pioneering research demonstrates that operators of all types really can get the best of both worlds with PHEV technology, electrifying fleets for improved sustainability without compromising on productivity. With our latest studies in Cologne and Valencia, we’ve shown the additional sustainability and compliance benefits that connected technologies such as geofencing and blockchain can bring to cities, citizens and operators.”
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