Daimler Rewards Good Drivers with Virtual Currency

Virtual currencies and the Blockchain have been headlining the news these past months through various pilot experiments intended to stress additional market opportunities. Daimler enters this sector and even unveils a virtual currency along with a rewards program for eco-drivers.

Daimler’s project has been called MobiCOIN: during three months, participating eco-drivers aboard a Mercedes GLC, will also be able to rely on the dedicated mobile app, connected to the vehicle.

These testers’ driving habits are recorded, and best practices are rewarded with MobiCOIN: a crypto-currency designed by Daimler. These coins are stored in-app, on the tester’s account.

The more their driving habits are responsible, the more MobiCOINS they earn. This currency can be exchanged for rewards (event invitations, for instance). The testers’ profiles are also compared, enabling the very best ones to be granted even greater rewards. This pilot phase first relies on 500 Daimler group employees.

Comments – Another use case for DLTs

Despite some anxiety and distrust, many long-standing players are now testing and implementing Blockchain technologies. This trend even seems to be making further progress. Several pilots have been conducted by banks, insurers, and mobility experts, including car manufacturers. This growth still doesn’t make it easy to come up with new market opportunities: not all considered plans are viable… Yet, as more tests are conducted, actual use cases have started to emerge.
Virtual currencies: a crossing point?

Daimler makes no exception and is, in fact, one of the pioneers on this market. In June 2017, they relied on the Blockchain in a program for financial transactions. Their MobiCOIN pilot was presented during the Mobile World Congress; it upholds an innovative use case for virtual currencies, as rewards for eco-drivers. The car manufacturer can retrieve and analyse driving habits, which makes sense in their sector, but their virtual currency stands out. Daimler is, however, experimenting two aspects at once: Blockchain technologies with help from their employees, and a loyalty program likely to be proposed to their drivers.