Digital Data

Digital Data: The Gold Mine for Future Mobility

The modern eCar is not just a vehicle that drives quietly, possibly also autonomously, through the countryside. It is a mobile computer centre that, using various radio links, is constantly exchanging information with its surroundings, other vehicles, the manufacturer and information sources on the Internet. It collects sensor data, adjusts the navigation to the traffic situation, and identifies whether a charging bay will be available at the next charging station when the car gets there.

An even greater treasure is the built-in battery with a large storage capacity. This is capable of supplying a four-person household with electricity for 5 days. Even more exciting, however, is the fact that the car will in the future be able to independently buy and sell electricity, and so earn money (possibly more than the cost of the kilometres driven). This will call for Energy Management 4.0, on which car manufacturers are currently working.

Local authorities, too, are interested in the data generated, collected and passed on by the many vehicles on their roads. This enables them to get a much better idea of where and when congestion occurs, direct traffic more effectively, and take the results into account when planning. To this end, supplier-independent operating platforms capable of communicating with all vehicles will need to be created. With GAIA-X, there is a European initiative for this, and this is being sponsored by the German government.

• What business chances the data in the automotive field offers, and what the technical infrastructure would need to look like for vehicles to be able to autonomously trade in electricity
• What GAIA-X is, and how local authorities can work with the data
• What technical requirements vehicles need to meet if they are to be able to act as mobile communication centres permanently recording and exchanging data