Minima, the company that developed the embedded blockchain protocol, is partnering with Zeekr Technology Europe, a premium electric vehicle (EV) brand focusing on high-performance and luxury EVs owned by Geely Automobile Holdings, to launch next-generation charging solutions for the European Zeekr community.
By integrating Minima’s blockchain technology within the Zeekr wallboxes , the two companies are addressing one of the most significant hurdles in EV adoption: access to charging infrastructure. According to a recent report from Shell, "49% of people who are yet to adopt EVs have not done so because they want to see better charge point availability." Minima and Zeekr’s partnership aims to close this gap by empowering EV owners to access a wider range of charging options. This strategic partnership will pilot a system that allows Zeekr vehicle owners to securely access private wallboxes at residential and commercial locations.
The product will enable wallbox owners to monetize their charging stations by making them available for Zeekr drivers to book at specific times and dates, similarly to the concept of Airbnb. This community-driven model offers Zeekr owners the ability to conveniently locate and reserve wallboxes, significantly enhancing the availability of reliable charging stations across various locations, making use of wallboxes that would otherwise remain idle.
Minima’s technology serves as the foundational framework for Zeekr Technologies to deploy its new smart contract IP as an app on a smartphone. For each booking, Zeekr will leverage Minima’s network to generate a secure access control token—essentially a unique digital key—that unlocks the wallbox. This token ensures the user’s identity, access rights, and allocated kWh can be securely protected and yet verified by the wallbox, allowing only authorized users to initiate charging.
"Together with Zeekr, we are showcasing how blockchain and community-driven solutions can address real-world challenges, delivering greater flexibility, security, and convenience to the EV ecosystem." said Hugo Feiler, co-founder and CEO of Minima.
One of the standout features of this tokenized system is its offline functionality. Even in the event of connectivity outages, EV drivers will still be able to charge their vehicles without disruption. Minima’s blockchain allows transactions to proceed securely via local connectivity options, such as Bluetooth, ensuring seamless operations in all situations. This combination of security, reliability, and offline capability sets a new benchmark for EV charging infrastructure.
Around 90% of electric vehicle owners have access to private charge points at home or at work, according to Deloitte. However, they may not always be able to use these private chargers, and the inefficiency of publicly available charging stations often discourages potential buyers from switching to EVs. Improving the accessibility and reliability of public charging infrastructure is crucial to encouraging broader adoption of electric vehicles.
Governments worldwide will be required to improve the local infrastructure for EVs, but it will require significant capital and time. For instance, The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) does estimate that an investment of $53–$127 billion from the U.S. government will be necessary by 2030. The study estimates that $38–$81 billion will be allocated to public electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure by 2030.
Minima and Zeekr’s partnership leverages the vast potential of underutilised private wallboxes to help expand the EV charging network without relying solely on extensive public investment. By decentralizing the charging infrastructure, this partnership not only provides a more flexible and cost-efficient alternative but also accelerates the adoption of electric vehicles by offering drivers convenient and reliable charging options.
About Zeekr Technology Europe
Zeekr Technologies is a premium electric vehicle brand, committed to pushing the boundaries of innovation and offering state-of-the-art electric mobility solutions. As part of the Geely Auto Group, Zeekr leverages world-class R&D to deliver vehicles that combine cutting-edge technology with sustainability and user-centric design.
About Minima
Minima, the embedded chain, is a Layer 1 that runs a full blockchain node on any device, which makes it uniquely suitable for DePIN projects that need superior data attestation, node-to-node messaging, and token generation on device (Edge Assets). Distinguished by its lightweight architecture, Minima enables a full (constructing and validating) node to run on mobile and any device, making it exceptionally adaptable for scaling DePIN solutions. Minima’s technology is quantum resistant and is now secured by an engaged community of over 50,000 node operators (and growing), distributed across the planet.
Learn more at minima.global.