Mercedes Benz To Launch A Blockchain-Based Carbon Emission Tracker
German automobile manufacturing company, Mercedes-Benz reported that they are working on an automobile blockchain gas emission tracker.
Mercedes-Benz, the German automobile manufacturing giant reported that they are working in partnership with Circular blockchain to trace automobile gas discharge that is useful to the climate. The blockchain is part of the Startup Autobahn initiative designed to classify cars of the next decade.
The companies will deploy blockchain to trace climate-relevant gas emissions and the number of recycled materials along the battery cell manufacturer's complex supply chains.
Eventually, Mercedes intends to use data collected during this pilot to develop its new fleet of carbon-neutral passenger cars.
Initially, the project will concentrate on cobalt supplies which have recently raised questions of provenance and ethics. Cobalt is a crucial resource for the manufacture of lithium-ion batteries, with most of the supply of cobalt coming from the Democratic Republic of Congo, a country known for its unethical cobalt conditions. The UN estimated 168 million children worldwide in exploitative working conditions in 2017, including about 40,000 children in cobalt mines in the DRC. Which means understanding where the ingredients for its products come from is especially important for businesses.
Blockchain in Automobile Industry
Mercedes isn't the first automaker to turn to blockchain technology on sustainability and ethical product sourcing issues. Volvo has worked with Circulor to track raw materials to their battery manufacturer, then to Volvo vehicles, through the supply chain.
Indian automobile manufacturer Tata Motors announced last September that they plan to incorporate blockchain technologies into their internal processes. The business wants to apply blockchain-based solutions to different aspects of the automotive industry including parking marketplace, demand prediction algorithm and fuel quality tracking in real-time.
Image via Shutterstock
Image source: Shutterstock
