New Fiat 500 Will Pay You Crypto for ‘Sustainable’ Driving

Owners of the new Fiat 500 electric car will be rewarded with cryptocurrency for “sustainable driving behavior,” according to a press release published yesterday.

The New 500, Fiat's first full-electric car, will award responsible drivers KiriCoins, a cryptocurrency developed by Kiri Technologies in partnership with Fiat's parent company Stellantis.

“We want to support our customers’ environmentally-friendly behaviours and reward them with exclusive benefits. Simply by driving the New 500, connected and equipped with the new infotainment system, KiriCoins can be collected in a ‘virtual’ wallet shown in the Fiat app,” said Gabriele Catacchio, e-Mobility by Stellantis program manager.

Drive to thrive

Catacchio explained that driving data will be uploaded to the Kiri cloud and automatically converted into KiriCoins, which can be later used to purchase products and services in the Kiri marketplace. Drivers with the best “eco:Score” will also receive additional rewards such as vouchers for Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Spotify, and Zalando.

During normal city driving, New 500 owners will earn around one KiriCoin per kilometer, each worth two euro cents. Thus, driving 10,000 kilometers per year on average, users can earn about €150 ($178) during this period, the release noted.

Currently, Kiri is available in 13 European countries. It can also potentially be expanded into sectors such as renewable energy and organic groceries.

Fiat's commercial launch manager for the Fiat New 500, Giorgio Neri, said in the release that the car will sit at the centre of a "mobility project" to reward its customers with cryptocurrency. The Kiri marketplace, he said, is "made up of companies from the fashion, accessories and design industries, all of whom have a fervent belief in sustainability.”

With the crypto space coming under fire for its environmental impact, Fiat's move into crypto to benefit the planet is a bold one.