  In the last century the automotive industry has arguably transformed society,
being one of the most complex, sophisticated and technologically advanced
industries, with innovations ranging from hybrid, electric and self-driving
smart cars to the development of IoT-connected cars. Due to its complexity, it
requires the involvement of many Industry 4.0 technologies, like robotics,
advanced manufacturing systems, cyber-physical systems or augmented reality.
One of the latest technologies that can benefit the automotive industry is
blockchain, which can enhance its data security, privacy, anonymity,
traceability, accountability, integrity, robustness, transparency,
trustworthiness and authentication, as well as provide long-term sustainability
and a higher operational efficiency to the whole industry. This review analyzes
the great potential of applying blockchain technologies to the automotive
industry emphasizing its cybersecurity features. Thus, the applicability of
blockchain is evaluated after examining the state-of-the-art and devising the
main stakeholders' current challenges. Furthermore, the article describes the
most relevant use cases, since the broad adoption of blockchain unlocks a wide
area of short- and medium-term promising automotive applications that can
create new business models and even disrupt the car-sharing economy as we know
it. Finally, after a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT)
analysis, some recommendations are enumerated with the aim of guiding
researchers and companies in future cyber-resilient automotive industry
developments.
