Your EV generates valuable data. Here's how you can get rewarded for it.
DLP Labs rewards EV drivers for their car data while keeping control of their privacy.
The average American spends $11,577 every year on car ownership, including maintenance, car payments, registration, insurance, and gas. And although electric vehicles (EVs) offer some savings over gas engines, transportation has become the second-largest household expense for American families – only housing costs more.
There are surprisingly few ways to offset these costs. Some car insurance companies offer a discount for safe driving if you’re willing to be tracked via their apps, but there aren’t many other opportunities to drive and get rewarded.
But what if you want to sell your car’s data your way - and choose who gets to buy it?
The dark side of automotive data collection
Your EV is constantly generating data, including battery health, charging patterns, location history, energy consumption, and driving behavior. And automakers are eagerly monetizing it, both with and without clear disclosure to drivers.
Large car companies like GM have even been fined for collecting sensitive information from vehicles and selling it to third-party data brokers. This data eventually winds its way to car insurance companies, which can use it to raise a driver’s rates. Meanwhile, drivers - the ones actually generating this valuable information - see none of the revenue and all of the downside.
Your car, your data, your money
DLP Labs is putting you back in the driver’s seat by turning your car’s data into an asset, not a liability. Instead of car manufacturers and other companies extracting value from your vehicle, DLP Labs is planning to create three distinct revenue streams that could save you over $900 per year.
Carbon credits from reduced emissions
Your EV is already less carbon intensive compared to gas vehicles, but you've never been compensated for it. DLP Labs is planning to track these carbon credits on the blockchain, allowing you to get paid for them in stablecoins.
Virtual power plant
Utilities run "virtual power plant" programs that coordinate multiple home chargers to support the grid. DLP Labs schedules your home EV charging during off-peak hours, lowering your electricity costs and collecting revenue from your utility when grid demand spikes. DLP Labs enrolls drivers and passes the revenue through.
Insurance savings
Drivers who shop around for car insurance can potentially save 50% or more on their insurance premiums. DLP Labs’ insurance agency partner’s marketplace lets drivers compare quotes and bind a policy in minutes.
All of this adds up to a driving experience that gives value back to you, the driver, and not middlemen, automakers, or insurance companies.
Walrus: The Trust Layer for Your Car’s Data
When you’re trusting a company with something as valuable as your car’s data, you need to be certain that your privacy is protected. This is where Walrus comes in. Every piece of your vehicle’s data is stored on Walrus, where it's distributed across independent nodes, making it impossible for any single entity to sell your data to third parties.
And thanks to on-chain access controls, drivers can monetize their data while keeping it encrypted and private. For example, when a utility company wants to pay you for virtual power plant services, they see only the aggregate energy data they need, not your personal location history. This allows drivers to share information more freely, without worrying their privacy is being compromised.
Conclusion
For decades, the data economy has been built on extraction: how much data can be sucked out of your connected devices and sold without consumers batting an eye? DLP Labs and Walrus represent a different model, one where your EV data can help offset your EV’s total cost of ownership. If you’re an EV owner, you can potentially save on insurance and participate in virtual power plant programs while still controlling what data you share.
The technology is here. Now it’s just a matter of drivers deciding they’re done generating data and benefits for companies for free.
10,000 cars are already connected to DLP Labs - will yours be next?
