Connected cars are only helpful if they have up-to-date information about road conditions, so Jaguar Land Rover has launched a new initiative that will encourage you to help other drivers in return for cryptocurrency
By reporting traffic jams, potholes and other annoyances, you can earn credits to pay for everyday driving expenses like bridge tolls, parking fees, or a cup of coffee to keep you perky on long trips.
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The system, known as Smart Wallet, is currently being tested at Jaguar Land Rover's software engineering base in Shannon, Ireland. Several vehicles have been kitted out with the tech, which can send the reported data to navigation providers or local authorities, which can warn other drivers or bring out the asphalt, respectively.
Sharing is caring
Smart Wallet isn't just a handy way to earn as you drive (and avoid the need to rummage for spare change for parking meters), it's part of Jaguar Land Rover's Destination Zero strategy, which has the lofty goal of eliminating emissions, congestion and accidents.
The company also hopes that the better connected our cars are, the more we'll enjoy being at the wheel. Ultimately, it wants your vehicle to become a kind of third place where you relax and socialize when you're not at home or work.
"In the future an autonomous car could drive itself to a charging station, recharge and pay, while its owner could choose to participate in the sharing economy – earning rewards from sharing useful data such as warning other cars of traffic jams," says Russell Vickers, Jaguar Land Rover software architect.
