The economic agent has to be in a position to communicate with other agents in order to perform its intended mission. To make this possible, Bosch has teamed up with EnBW. The German energy supply company has developed a prototype of a charging point that utilizes an economic agent, too.

This smart charging station manager acts in its own interest to achieve optimal availability, utilization rates, and sales based on the accompanying targets. The car and the charging station are now able to negotiate different and transparent price models and offer them to the driver in real time — depending on the availability of charging stations and electricity generated from renewable sources.

Once the negotiations are complete, a smart contract is drawn up on the blockchain. This standard agreement, which includes the IDs of the vehicle and charging station along with the amount and price of electricity charged, is stored in the decentralized network. “Blockchain serves as the technical basis for coordinating EV charging with any energy provider. We are working with our partners to achieve the necessary legal recognition for contracts like this,” says Heise. Here’s how the process works: The two agents confirm the conditions agreed in the contract, and charging can begin once the EV is plugged in. Heise says, “Our EV charging agent and the charging station's economic agent from EnBW work to deliver the best price based on given targets, while the charging station agent seeks to negotiate optimum prices for resources.”