Charging e-cars via Lightning: New app makes it possible

Electric cars have become a trend over the past few years. It should soon be possible to charge e-cars via Lightning. A German company is developing an app for this. Identification is not required for users.

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Charging electric vehicles via Satimoto

The app, which wants to give users the opportunity to charge electric cars and other electric vehicles at charging stations via Bitcoin Lightning, is called Satimoto. The project is being developed in Leipzig and is apparently making great progress.

The app will also be accessible to users in Switzerland. In fact, the Confederation is one of the best connected regions so far. Satimoto recently published a map showing the registered charging stations in Europe.

According to this, Satimoto has already been able to cooperate with the operators of 24,227 charging stations. Of these, 8,898 are in a test phase. The offer is not limited to specific countries, but France, Germany, the Benelux countries, Austria and Switzerland form the clear focus of the app.

We currently have 24227 charge points listed, of which 8898 are experimental. All can be paid for by streaming sats over the Lightning Network!

Still in early testing, we're checking operator integration and proper functioning.

We're very grateful to our eager testers! 🙏 pic.twitter.com/fAP20obmL8
— Satimoto | EV charging with ⚡️ (@SatimotoApp) December 12, 2022

We are still in an early testing stage and are checking the integration of the operators and the proper function.

writes the company. Satimoto is in a closed beta. Interested parties can subscribe to a mailing list on the company’s website. Participation does not seem to be possible for outsiders at the moment.

What are the advantages of Bitcoin Lightning at the charging station?

The charging stations of different operators often use their own subscription models with their own payment cards. More and more accessible variants of credit and debit card payment, Apple Pay, PayPal or Google Pay are being integrated. It is rare to even find charging stations where cash payment is possible .

Using the Lightning Network should give users the option to pay digitally at lightning speed. Particularly interesting: Users do not have to register, identify themselves or take out a subscription in advance.

All it needs is a smartphone and a Lightning wallet. Devices that can take on similar functions are also conceivable – such as a bolt card.

A demo video gives a first glimpse of how it works. Compared to the digital payment methods previously offered, Lightning is very easy to use. The credit used for this does not have to be in third-party custody – unlike with PayPal and others..