Toyota proposed a design that could use the Ethereum blockchain. Toyota’s proposed design aims to create digital accounts on the blockchain for vehicles. These accounts will function as the tools’ assets on the blockchain, potentially becoming a completely independent service entity.

Toyota states that this approach can enable vehicles to move autonomously and all rights are managed on the blockchain. In this context, every aspect of the vehicle will be controlled digitally, thus paving the way for autonomous driving.

As Toyota’s blog post states, “The most extreme scenario these features suggest is fully autonomous driving in the future.” Autonomous mobility can operate without the need for human intervention, with all rights and transactions of vehicles being carried out on the blockchain. This makes it possible for vehicles to operate completely independently, without the need for any intervention from vehicle owners, drivers or third parties.

Toyota plans to improve the MOA design using the Account Abstraction standard ERC-4337 in Ethereum. This standard makes account management on the blockchain more flexible and secure.

One of the advantages of ERC-4337 in particular is that it ensures that the blockchain account is protected even if the private key is lost. Toyota emphasizes that this feature will increase the security of vehicle accounts and make digital account management more secure. The company states that this system provides “safer and more flexible account management.”

Additionally, one of the advantages of using Ethereum is that information about tools, such as usage history, is managed more transparently and efficiently. In this way, vehicle owners and users will be able to see all vehicle-related data in an easier and more accessible way. Another feature offered by ERC-4337 is that it allows “the address to be determined before the account is distributed”. This feature facilitates the integration of on-chain addresses with existing vehicle identification systems, providing better data management.

Another innovative idea proposed by Toyota is the concept of a key token that complies with the NFT standard. These tokens contain vehicle owners’ information and “use rights”. It enables digital management of permissions by expressing vehicle access through NFTs.

Toyota thinks this approach will enable services such as car sharing to be carried out more easily and efficiently. Controlling permissions when transferring NFTs provides a digital solution regardless of hardware, allowing services to reach a wider user base.

Toyota’s Blockchain laboratory was founded in 2019 to develop this mobility-focused account-based project. The Lab is a virtual organization established to promote the use of blockchain within the Toyota Group.

With this project, Toyota seems to aim to shape the future of vehicle mobility and develop a more efficient and safe system by collaborating with other players in the industry.