The e-car boom will stall if charging stations are scarce. Peaq will change this.

Owners of electric vehicles (EVs) are familiar with the issue: to fully charge their vehicles while driving across the country, they must register with multiple online portals and obtain multiple charging cards. To avoid getting stuck on the road, drivers fear not being able to find a charging station. The manufacturer’s maximum range is rarely achieved in practice.

“To charge everywhere, people need to register with 10 to 15 portals, download apps, and apply for charging cards,” explains peaq co-founder Leonard Dorlöchter to futurezone. “There are also closed systems that cannot communicate,” says Dorlöchter. The EU requires public charging point operators to charge their vehicles without registering them by using “roaming“. But the prices are usually higher than those based on subscriptions.

In the future, individuals should be able to use an app to charge at any available charging station in the future, regardless of operator. Public or private charging station owners should be able to offer their infrastructure via this app. 

Peaq is the platform where the app will be offered. A decentralized network This will begin in July 2022. According to Dorlöchter, 23 people have been working behind the scenes since 2020.

But how popular is such an app with charging station operators? For Dorlöchter, the development of peaq is not a competitor, but a useful addition. “This route allows providers to expand access to their charge points, which increases their options.”

It is technically simple for businesses, but not for individuals.
Large charging infrastructure providers could technically integrate easily into the Peaq network. “The backend must communicate with the blockchain network.” A product expert (CPO) at peaq explains that the network can communicate directly with charging stations. For private customers, manufacturers of wall boxes must already deliver the peaq software.

Peaq is currently in touch with “two large charging station manufacturers” in Germany. Peaq also has partners like Audi and NTT.

“The app was born out of a problem,”

Leonard Dorlöchter
 

.Peaq should not be limited to Germany, but should be global. Other app use cases are being considered. For example, a peaq app should allow you to quickly rent out your private parking space at short notice “Imagine a decentralized exchange. “Unlike previous platforms, no one takes advantage of the added value,” says Dorlöchter.

Cryptocurrencies and Web3.0

These are web3’s benefits. Peaq is a new type of decentralized blockchain infrastructure that aims to revolutionize the Internet. Decentralized networking of vehicles, machines, devices, and robots allows individuals and organizations to profit without intermediaries. It should be “transparent and fair”, it says. So Peaq does not intend to stop with the networking of e-charging infrastructure or parking spaces, but rather with the first use cases.

But what about liability if it all works out?

“We will certainly work with insurance companies to cover damages. “Of course, companies must also maintain charging stations,” says Dorlöchter.

While e-car owners naturally pay in euros when refueling, the peaq infrastructure uses a cryptocurrency token. Used to develop and maintain the ecosystem. “This is the main network monetization,” Dorlöchter says. However, Peaq is a non-profit organization. Peaq gives investors and founders token shares. As the network grows, these shares will be worth more. “Like regular company shares,” Dorlöchter says.