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## Commoning cars
## Project Update 2025
> **System Upgrade**: The monitoring system now runs on a Raspberry Pi Zero, chosen for its improved energy efficiency. The system only operates when sufficient solar power is available, making it truly self-sustainable. This update has significantly reduced the project's power consumption while maintaining all monitoring capabilities.
## TCF Project Brief
This Project was conceptualized durin a 2023 Workshop titled Tangible Climate Futures.
This project was conceptualized during the 2023 Tangible Climate Futures workshop.
Aron Petau
[aron@petau.net](<mailto:aron@petau.net>)
Project Lead: Aron Petau\
Contact: [aron@petau.net](mailto:aron@petau.net)
[See the Project in Realtime](https://www.aronpetau.me/ulli/)
## Title
~~Making Cars Public spaces~~
Commoning Cars
[View Live Project Data](https://solar.petau.net/)
## Abstract
Cars bad.\
Cars occupy public spaces resulting un a factual privatization of public goods/infrastructure.\
What if cars could be part of public infrastructure?\
What can cars provide to the public?\
With Solar and Electrical Vehicles emerging on the horizon (no endorsement here) it makes sense to think about cars as decentralized powerhouses and public energy storage solutions.\
Cars, even traditional ones, come equipped with batteries and generate electricity either by driving or though added solar panels.
What if this energy could be used to power the public? What if cars would could be used as public spaces?
By installing a public USB socket and a public wifi hotspot, on my car, I want to start exploring the potential of cars as public spaces and energy storage solutions.
Private cars represent one of the most significant privatizations of public space in modern cities.\
What if we could transform these private spaces into public resources?\
What if cars could contribute to public infrastructure instead of depleting it?
Within this artistic experiment, I will continuously track the geolocation and energy input/output of my solar equipped car and make the data publicly available. I will also track the amount of energy that is not used by the car and could be used by the public. Taking steps towards optimal usage of existing electrical and other infrastructure is only possible by breaking conventional notions of public ownership and private property. This project is one step towards a more sustainable and equitable future.
With the rise of electric vehicles and solar technology, cars can be reimagined as decentralized power stations and energy storage units. This project explores this potential by converting my personal vehicle into a public resource, equipped with:
- A public USB charging station powered by solar panels
- A free WiFi hotspot for community use
- Real-time monitoring of energy generation and usage
This artistic experiment tracks the vehicle's location, energy input/output, and public usage patterns. By making this data publicly available, we can quantify the untapped potential of private vehicles and challenge conventional notions of ownership and public resources.
## Introduction
We all know by now that cars and individual traffic presents a major environmetal and societal problem all over the world. The last 70 something years of building car infrastructure are culminating in many areas in a dead end where the only thinkable solution is to build more roads and cars.
THis is obviously a larger problem than one project can tackle, but here is one outlook on how
After seven decades of car-centric urban development, many cities find themselves at an impasse. The traditional solution of building more roads has proven unsustainable, both environmentally and socially. While one project cannot solve this systemic issue, we can experiment with alternative approaches to existing infrastructure.
This project proposes a different perspective: instead of viewing cars solely as transportation, what if they could serve as nodes in a public infrastructure network? By transforming private vehicles into shared resources, we might begin to address both our environmental challenges and our need for more equitable public spaces.
## Experiment
### Preexisting data
### Data Collection & Analysis
With the data collected over the last year of using the car privately I can show with embarrasing accuracy how underutilized the system is and calculate an estimate of energy lost due to societal notions of private property.
The data will be an estimate, since the monitoring itself is dependent on solar energy and the internet connection is spotty at best when it is not supplied with electricity.
A year of private vehicle usage data reveals patterns of underutilization and potential energy sharing opportunities. While the monitoring system's solar dependency means some data gaps exist, the available information clearly demonstrates the untapped potential of private vehicles as public resources.
### Monitoring
### Technical Implementation
In the Car, there is a Raspberry Pi 4 Microcomputer running a custom Operating Systen that monitors the following data:
The monitoring system consists of:
- Solar Intake (W)
- Battery Level (V)
- GPS Location
- Total Energy Produced (Wh)
- Total Energy Consumed (Wh)
- Solar Energy Potential (Wh)
- Solar-powered Raspberry Pi Zero (2025 upgrade)
- 4G-enabled Netgear M1 router
- Solar panel array
- Secondary car battery
- External USB charging port
- GPS tracking module
Through the router I can also track total Wifi usage and the number of connected devices.
The system monitors:
### Public Wifi
- Solar power generation (W)
- Battery voltage (V)
- GPS location
- Energy production (Wh)
- Energy consumption (Wh)
- Solar potential (Wh)
- WiFi usage statistics
- Connected devices count
For the Project, I opened a router in the Car towards the Public, much alike to ahotspot you would find in a cafe. I use my own data plan on there, which I never max out anyways. The router is a Netgear M1 and has a 4G Modem built in. It is connected to the Raspberry Pi and is powered by the secondary car battery.
### Public Services
### Public Energy: A USB Socket
The project currently offers two main public services:
I plan on installing a USB Socket on the outside of the car, so people can charge their devices. The socket will be connected to the secondary car battery and will be powered by the solar panels. The socket will be installed in a way that it is not possible to drain the battery completely.
1. **Free WiFi Hotspot**
- Public access point similar to café WiFi
- Powered by solar energy
- Uses existing mobile data plan
- Automatic power management
### Communication
2. **USB Charging Station**
- External weatherproof USB port
- Solar-powered with battery backup
- Smart power management to prevent battery depletion
- Available during daylight hours
Nobody expects any help or public supplies from car owners.
How to communicate the possibility to the outside world?
The plan is to fabricate a vinyl sticker that will be applied to the car. The sticker will contain a QR Code that will lead to a website with the data and a short explanation of the project. Visual cues lead to the USB Socket and the Wifi Hotspot.
### Public Communication
## Issues
To make these services discoverable:
### Space / Scale
- Custom vinyl decals with clear visual indicators
- QR code linking to real-time system status
- Simple icons marking WiFi and USB access points
- Project information available via web interface
Obviously, the space on top of a car is quite limited and from a sustainability perspective, it would be better to have a larger solar array on a roof of a house. The point is not to advocate for a mandated solar install on cars, but to optimize and share preexisting infrastructure. The car is already there, it already has a battery and it already has solar panels. Looking at many Camper-Van builds, the amount of cars with already installed solar panels is quite large. The point is to make the most out of it.
## Challenges & Considerations
### Legality
### Scale & Efficiency
Germany has laws in place holding the owner of a Internet Connection liable for the legality of the traffic that is going through it. This is a major issue for the project, as I do not want to be liable for the traffic that is going through my car. I am currently looking into ways to circumvent this issue.
While a car's roof provides limited space for solar panels compared to buildings, this project isn't about maximizing solar generation. Instead, it focuses on utilizing existing infrastructure more effectively. Many vehicles, especially camper vans, already have solar installations. By sharing these resources, we can improve their utilization without additional environmental impact.
### Surveillance / Privacy
### Legal Framework
The Car is equipped with a GPS Tracker and a Wifi Hotspot. This means that I can track the location of the car and the number of devices connected to the hotspot. I am not tracking any data that is going through the hotspot, but I could. As this project will generate public data, People using and maybe depending on the internet and electricity provided will be tracked by proxy. I am not sure how to deal with this issue yet. One potential solution would be to publish the data only in an aggregated form, but this would make the data less useful for other projects.
Two main legal considerations shape the project:
### Security / Safety
1. **Network Liability**
- German law holds network providers responsible for user traffic
- Investigating legal protections similar to those used by public WiFi providers
- Implementing appropriate usage policies and disclaimers
My Car is now publicly traceable. I am no Elon Musk, and the idea does not really concern me, but we did create an additional attack vector for theft here.
2. **Privacy & Security**
- Balancing public access with system security
- Protecting user privacy while maintaining service transparency
- Ensuring responsible resource sharing
## Sources
### Privacy & Data Ethics
[UN Sustainable Development Goal Nr. 7](https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal7)
[Adam Something on the Rise of Urban Cars](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrfsTNNCbP0)
[Is Berlin a walkable City?](https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/b7437b11e42d44b5a3bf3b5d9d8211b1)
[FBI advising against utilizing public infrastructure](https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/scams-and-safety/on-the-internet)
[Why no solar panels on cars?](https://www.forbes.com/sites/billroberson/2022/11/30/why-doesnt-every-electric-car-have-solar-panels/?sh=4276c42d1ac6)
The project raises important privacy considerations that we're actively addressing:
+++
1. **Data Collection**
- Location tracking is limited to vehicle position only
- Network usage is monitored anonymously (device count only)
- No monitoring of user traffic or personal data
- Regular data purging policies
## Notes
2. **Data Publication**
- Aggregated statistics to protect user privacy
- Delayed location data release
- Focus on system performance metrics
- Transparent data handling policies
Ideas on Data Mapping workshop
### Security Considerations
I have the Solar Data from the Van.
The public nature of this project introduces several security challenges:
It holds Geocodes,
has hourly data
and could tell the difference between geocoded potential solar energy and actual energy.
It also has temperature records.
1. **Physical Security**
- Protected charging ports to prevent tampering
- Automatic circuit protection
- Limited battery access to prevent depletion
- Regular security audits
There are 2 types of Losses in the system:
2. **Network Security**
- Isolated public WiFi network
- Limited bandwidth per user
- Automatic threat detection
- Regular security updates
- Either the Batteries are full and available energy cannot be stored
- Or the solar panels are blocked through urban structures and sub-optimal parking locations.
### Further Reading
Interesting Questions:
For more context on the broader implications of this project:
How far away from optimal usage are my panels and where does the difference stem from?
- [UN Sustainable Development Goal 7](https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal7) - Energy accessibility
- [Urban Car Impact Analysis](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrfsTNNCbP0) by Adam Something
- [Berlin Walkability Study](https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/b7437b11e42d44b5a3bf3b5d9d8211b1)
- [Public Infrastructure Security](https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/scams-and-safety/on-the-internet) - FBI Guidelines
- [Solar Integration in Vehicles](https://www.forbes.com/sites/billroberson/2022/11/30/why-doesnt-every-electric-car-have-solar-panels/?sh=4276c42d1ac6)
Where to go?
### Data Analysis & System Optimization
I think, the difference between potential energy and actual electricity produced/consumed is interesting.
How large is the gap?
Is it relevant —> my initial guess would be that it is enormous
How to close the gap?
Our year-long data collection has revealed several key insights about the system's
performance and potential:
—> install outside usb plugs
It would be publicly available infrastructure, people could charge their smartphones anywhere
—> QI charging for security concerns??
1. **Energy Generation Analysis**
- Hourly solar generation data with geocoding
- Temperature correlation tracking
- Actual vs. potential energy generation comparison
- Detailed usage patterns
Scaling??
—> mandate solar roofs for cars? How effective would it actually be?
What about buses / public vehicles?
2. **System Losses**
We've identified two primary types of efficiency losses:
- Storage limitations when batteries reach capacity
- Environmental factors such as urban shading and suboptimal parking positions
+++
3. **Performance Optimization**
Current efforts focus on:
- Improving energy storage efficiency
- Optimizing parking locations based on solar exposure
- Balancing public access with system capabilities
## Potential issues with the data:
### Technical Challenges
- Spotty / intermittent internet connection
- Noisy?
Through implementation, we've addressed several key technical concerns:
## Making Cars public spaces
1. **Power Management**
- Smart charging controls prevent battery depletion
- Circuit protection against electrical tampering
- Automated system monitoring and shutdown
What could my car provide to the public to be less wasteful with its space?
2. **User Experience**
- Clear usage instructions via QR code
- Real-time system status indicators
- Automated notifications for vehicle movement
- Provide Internet
- Would incur monthly costs
- Provide Electricity
3. **Data Quality**
- Redundant data collection for intermittent connectivity
- Local storage for offline operation
- Automated data validation and cleaning
## Concrete Problems
### Future Implications
How to make sure people cannot fully drain my battery?
How dangerous is actually an exposed USB Socket?
Can people short my electronics through it?
This project raises important questions about urban infrastructure:
How scalable are solutions like these?
1. **Scaling Potential**
- Application to public transport fleets
- Integration with existing urban power networks
- Policy implications for vehicle regulations
Are public USBC Sockets something that would actually be used?
Could there be a way for people to leave their stuff charging?
What if I actually move the car and someone has their equipment still attached?
Would people even leave their stuff unattended?
2. **Grid Integration**
Electric vehicles could serve as distributed energy storage, helping to:
- Stabilize power grid fluctuations
- Reduce the need for constant power plant operation
- Support renewable energy integration
Can cars provide positive effects to public spaces?
—> how to pose this research question without redeeming the presence of cars in our public spaces?
3. **Social Impact**
- Reimagining private vehicles as public resources
- Creating new models of shared infrastructure
- Building community resilience through distributed systems
Difference Electric - Fuel cars
For detailed technical specifications and implementation guidelines, please refer to our
[project documentation](/documents/Info_Sheet_Commoning_Cars.pdf).
there is lots of research on using Electric cars as transitional energy storage. Even before "flatten the curve" became a common slogan, electrical engineers worried about the small energy spikes in the grid. The existence of these forces us to keep large power plants running at all times, even if the energy is not needed. The idea is to use the batteries of electric cars to store this energy and use it when needed.
### The Messy Reality
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Let's be honest about the challenges of turning a private car into a public power station:
**The Tech Stuff**
Sometimes the internet drops out, the solar panels get shaded by buildings, and the
whole system goes to sleep when there's not enough sun. It's a bit like having a
temperamental coffee machine that only works when it feels like it. But that's part
of the experiment - working with nature's rhythm instead of fighting it.
**Making it Public**
How do you tell people "Hey, my car is actually here to help you"? It sounds weird,
right? We're so used to seeing cars as private spaces that need protection. I'm
trying to flip that around with some simple signs and a QR code, but it's definitely
a mental shift for everyone involved.
**Safety First (But Not Too Boring)**
Sure, we need to make sure nobody can drain the battery completely or short-circuit
the USB ports. But we also need to keep it approachable. No one wants to read a
manual just to charge their phone. It's about finding that sweet spot between "please
don't break it" and "yes, this is for you to use."
**The Bigger Picture**
Here's the fun part: what if we could turn every parked car into a tiny power
station? Instead of just taking up space, these machines could actually give
something back to the city. It's a bit utopian, maybe even a bit silly, but that's
what art projects are for - imagining different possibilities.
Think of it as a small experiment in making private things public again. Yes, cars
are still problematic for cities, but while they're here, maybe they can do more
than just sit around looking shiny.