title: Application of blockchain technology for the charging Infrastructure of electric vehicles - technical, environmental, economic, legal and social aspects
Creators: name: Zöhrer, Siegbert
Publisher: name: TU Wien
Year: 2018
Subjects: subject: blockchain
subject: charging infrastructure
subject: electric vehicles
subject: blockchain
subject: charging infrastructure
subject: electric vehicles

description: Switching to electric vehicles (EV), supported by a suitable charging station infrastructure, will take some time, as there is currently a lack of suitable infrastructure that allows convenient operation of EVs. The subject of this thesis is to investigate whether the application of BlockChain technology (BCT) for the charging infrastructure of EVs is possible and what advantages and disadvantages such a solution offers. Details of the BCT in terms of environmental, economic, legal and social aspects are analyzed. Many see the BCT as the biggest invention since the invention of the Internet. This technology makes it possible to achieve integrity in distributed systems without a centralized system. Distributed systems can reduce costs and provide more security in case of errors. It also provides an easy way to grow, as new systems can be easily integrated. The BCT also allows so-called "Micro Payments" with low costs for the payment, so that smaller electricity producers with solar modules on roofs will be able to sell their generated energy. Financial transactions must be conducted between actors who cannot build trust in the other party. The BCT also contains traps. One of them is an immense power consumption for consensus finding in distributed networks. All entries of BlockChain (BC) are public readable, can privacy be guaranteed here? The BC does not forget, how is the General Data Protection Regulation of the EU fulfilled here? The central question is whether it is possible with the BCT to build a distributed charging infrastructure, to implement this in a resource-saving manner, to allow micro-generators to participate in the electricity market, to enable privacy and to fulfill all legal requirements? To answer these questions, the technical requirements of the systems involved were analyzed and compared with the technical capabilities of the BC. Existing currency systems and crypto currencies were also analyzed for their possible uses. It was also investigated whether a regulatory intervention must be possible and how to prevent monopolies and speculation. The right choice of BC shape and the right consensus algorithm allows the BCT to be used for the charging infrastructure of electric vehicles. Due to the open decentralized architecture, the BC also enables small power producers to economically participate in the power supply of these charging stations. Even an architecture without a central element enables trustworthy business relationships to be entered into. Smart contracts and coloured coins can be used to model complex business conditions. If regulative interventions are necessary, they must be transparent. Also, trading with Green Certificates is supported within the BC also with regulatory control of supply and demand. Within the BC, a cryptocurrency may be used, but to prevent speculation, it should be tied to a fixed currency and also support inflation.
description: Switching to electric vehicles (EV), supported by a suitable charging station infrastructure, will take some time, as there is currently a lack of suitable infrastructure that allows convenient operation of EVs. The subject of this thesis is to investigate whether the application of BlockChain technology (BCT) for the charging infrastructure of EVs is possible and what advantages and disadvantages such a solution offers. Details of the BCT in terms of environmental, economic, legal and social aspects are analyzed. Many see the BCT as the biggest invention since the invention of the Internet. This technology makes it possible to achieve integrity in distributed systems without a centralized system. Distributed systems can reduce costs and provide more security in case of errors. It also provides an easy way to grow, as new systems can be easily integrated.