It is not news that the future of the automobile industry is the EV – a car that uses electricity as its source of energy. Currently, the focus is to create vehicles that can go longer distances on a single charge while charging fast enough to avoid delays. But one brand is thinking further: Canadian auto firm, Daymak, has announced it’s building the world’s first automobile that can mine cryptocurrency while you’re parked.
Spiritus, the new light electric vehicle (LEV), will be equipped with high-tech mining hardware and blockchain technology that will allow it to mine all kinds of crypto, from Bitcoin to Dogecoin and even Ethereum, while it is charging.
For the uninitiated, mining is a way of earning cryptocurrencies by solving cryptographic equations and algorithms through computers. You can mine via any computer, including the one onboard this pioneering ride.
The Spiritus will include a GPU (processor) that supports a patent-pending system known as the Daymak Nebula. The Nebula comprises a miner that collects the coins and a digital wallet that stores them for future use. Naturally, there’s also an app that displays all the crypto info on your smartphone.
“We envision a future where your highway tolls, your parking and your drive-thru order will be paid directly on the fly with crypto. Your online bills and your banking can be handled through the same software platform paid in crypto,” says Daymak president Aldo Baiocchi. “And whereas most vehicles are depreciating while they sit in your garage, the Nebula Miner will make you money while your Spiritus is parked.”
Among the many accusations levelled against cryptocurrency, its contribution to the surge of carbon emissions in recent years is perhaps the most damaging. But the Daymak Spiritus seems to have taken care of this challenge: the emissions-free daily driver has been fitted with solar panels, which means the mining could be carried out using renewable energy rather than traditional fossil fuels.
As for the car itself, it has a decidedly futuristic aesthetic with sleek lines and a sculpted rear end. Though it only has three wheels, it’s certainly no slouch. The range-topping ‘Ultimate’ model features an 80 kWh battery that delivers up to 150 hp. Daymak says this allows the svelte two-seater to go from zero to 60 in a breakneck 1.8 seconds and reach a top speed in excess of 130 mph. The company also claims the car can cover some 300 miles (approx. 483km) and charge in under two hours.
The Spiritus is expected to launch in 2023 and has already received more than 4,000 pre-orders so far. In terms of pricing, the base ‘Deluxe’ model starts at around $20,000 while the luxe carbon-fibre ‘Ultimate’ model will cost you $149,000. Thankfully, the car may just pay for itself.
Source: Robb Report