Monitoring Bitcoin: WIKISPEED + Bitcoin, buying a peer-produced car with a p2p currency

Another P2P milestone: it is now possible to order a peer-produced car, or carparts, with a peer-produced currency!

WIKISPEED is a project that has been highlighted in several occasions by the P2P Foundation for the powerful way in which it embodies the theory of Peer Production. That fact that there is a company developing more ecological cars using distributed collaborative practices confirms that Peer Production is real, and that it can go beyond immaterial, non-rival, goods like software or music.

WIKISPEED’s recent announcement  about their move to enable Bitcoin payments (read the press release), should send a strong signal about the potential for convergence within the P2P universe. As the P2P world grows in depth and scope, increasingly complex feats will be possible without the need to rely on the conventional structures.

Transportation and currency are two key social functions that were not long ago P2P-unthinkable. Money and cars, we thought (or, rather, we were told), could only be handled by large hierarchical organisations.  Now it is possible to produce cars and currency through P2P arrangements that mix social and computer protocols. At the P2P foundation we see this as a major milestone in the road to a P2P world.

Note: Joe Justice, founder of WIKISPEED will be answering Bitcoin-related questions (mainly) on Wednesday August 1 at 9am Pacific time (Seattle) on Reddit.com. To participate in this real-time distributed interview go to www.reddit.com/r/bitcoin around the time indicated above.

Disclaimer: Nicolás Mendoza, author of this post and researcher at the P2P Foundation, is also in charge of managing Bitcoin adoption for WIKISPEED. He is also the author of the WIKISPEED + Bitcoin press release. His involvement in both WIKISPEED and Bitcoin is on a non-paid voluntary basis.

 

PRESS RELEASE:

WIKISPEED, first car-maker in the world to accept Bitcoin

WIKISPEED is excited to announce that starting today, it is possible to purchase WIKISPEED cars and car parts or to support our projects with Bitcoin. We believe the decentralised, open and internet-native nature of Bitcoin resonates deeply with the essence of the WIKISPEED project.
Our name, WIKISPEED, not only reflects the network origin of our project but more importantly, how the network itself is the core of our methodology. Like a Wikipedia article, our cars are designed and built by teams of collaborative volunteer teams distributed around the world. Similarly, our design and knowledge is open and available for anyone to use and improve. The ‘Wiki’ approach to physical manufacturing allows WIKISPEED teams to perform complex tasks in a fraction of the time and at a fraction of the cost of industry norms.
The networked and open nature of the Bitcoin monetary system allows its users to perform transactions at substantially cheaper cost and at substantially faster speed, worldwide. WIKISPEED and Bitcoin have in common that they enable freely-assembled teams and individuals to perform activities that previously required bureaucracies, companies, or even nations.
For the first time in history, it is now possible to purchase a car manufactured by a distributed, collaborative corporation using currency issued by no bank. We see this as a landmark in the maturation of the web: a step forward in the convergence of activities driven by networking logics in all fields of human life. This convergence of network culture, network manufacturing and network economics holds the promise to fundamentally change the world, bringing back power to the people. A world where an open source car can be purchased with open source money is already a new world with new and exciting potential.
Bitcoin can now be used to purchase the limited edition WIKISPEED SGT01, a replica of our X-Prize winning prototype for $25.000 USD. A comfortable commuter car, the WIKISPEED C3, is in development and will be Bitcoin-compatible at launch. We aim to deliver the C3 as a complete car for $17,995 USD and as a kit for $10,000 USD. All WIKISPEED cars are ultra-efficient, modular, safety-tested, and deliver 100mpg or more. He have also opened an online store where WIKISPEED car parts are available at http://wikispeed.com/Store. Because Bitcoin transfer fees are dramatically lower than those of conventional systems, we are offering a 3% discount in all our prices when payed in Bitcoin.
Funding for the development of the WIKISPEED C3 commuter car is currently being conducted through a crowdfunding campaing at Indiegogo.com. The costs the C3 development include crash test fees, fuel-efficiency testing, materials for prototyping and testing, expert reviews and fabrication, and additional tools. While the Indiegogo platform does not support Bitcoin contributions, these can be sent to the following Bitcoin address: 12JiynsQcfNLbeWnM7cdnYGo3axPXDcwCV
Support WIKISPEED and make the future of automotive transportation happen right now.
WIKISPEED, a Seattle, WA–based automotive-prototyping and manufacturing startup, is a registered automotive manufacturer able to sell complete vehicles in the United States and kit-built vehicles all over the world. WIKISPEED currently has collaborative operations in fifteen countries worldwide.

Our Bitcoin address for donations is 12JiynsQcfNLbeWnM7cdnYGo3axPXDcwCV

We are in the process of implementing an automated shopping cart solution. However, customers who wish to purchase from us using Bitcoin can contact us at [email protected] for detailed instructions.
Press Photos: http://www.wikispeed.com/press, http://www.jigsawrenaissance.org/.
Media Contact: WIKISPEED: [email protected], 425-312-3996
Jigsaw Renaissance: [email protected], 206-659-5260

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