Owners of the new Fiat 500 electric car will be rewarded for eco driving with free cryptocurrency that can be spent at a dedicated online marketplace.
Fiat's parent company Stellantis has teamed up with a cryptocurrency UK start-up called Kiri Technologies to run its rewards programme.
‘Kiri’ is the Japanese name for Paulownia, the tree that absorbs 10 times more carbon dioxide than any other plant.
Motorists receive one KiriCoin worth two euro cents for every kilometre they drive in a virtual wallet accessed via a Fiat smartphone app. The coins can be redemmed for vouchers that can be spent at an online mart comprising major shopping brands, such as Amazon, Apple Music, Netflix and Spotify
Drivers with the best eco-scores on a scale of 0 to 100 based on economical driving will also receive extra rewards. Driving data uploaded to the cloud will reveal energy consumption in real time to produce a score.
Gabriele Catacchio, Fiat's e-mobility manager, says: “What we have here is an eco-loyalty program that will make people feel good about having an eco-driving style. That's pretty unique in the automotive world and it's also new in the wider world because most programs reward you for your purchases, not for being responsible. That approach can potentially embrace plenty of other environmentally conscious actions that in the future will also generate KiriCoins.”
The eco rewards scheme is set to start after the first cars are delivered to the UK in late Spring.