Ola Electric, one of India’s largest EV company, has launched the Ola Digital Twin platform, which it claims will transform manufacturing processes and product development lifecycle.

Developed on the Nvidia Omniverse, the Ola Digital Twin platform integrates Krutrim AI and Nvidia technologies along with other advanced simulation tools and IoT platforms to create comprehensive digital twin environments.

This the company says fast-track the planning of Ola Electric’s manufacturing facilities and optimise equipment layouts, product development lifecycles, and the building of computer vision-based quality-inspection systems.

The platform also leverages physically accurate simulations and generative AI for tasks ranging from kinematics simulations to generating synthetic image data for training autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and robotic arms.

By integrating Nvidia Omniverse — a platform of application programming interfaces (APIs), software development kits and services that enable developers to harness Universal Scene Description (OpenUSD) for physical AI — as well as Nvidia Isaac Sim — a reference simulation platform built on Omniverse for designing and testing robots — Ola Electric claims it has achieved over 20 percent faster time to market from design to commissioning, for manufacturing operations at its Futurefactory.

Ola Electric has also leveraged Ola Digital Twin in its autonomous robotic weld lines at the Futurefactory, to simulate the welding processes and quality inspection systems. This enables virtual deployment and testing of changes before implementing them in the physical world.

Developers at Ola use Ola Digital Twin’s generative AI capabilities and Nvidia Omniverse APIs to generate synthetic assets, including lighting, environmental scenes, objects and defects, which help accelerate perception AI model training from months to weeks, while accounting for scenarios otherwise impossible to safely replicate in the real world. The platform also features thermal simulation capabilities for building next-generation Ola Krutrim data centers and liquid-cooling infrastructure.

In addition to this, Ola Consumer is using Nvidia Isaac Sim to train its robot pick-and-place applications for complex stock-keeping units in its automated dark stores. The robots are trained in virtual simulations to handle complex operations in a dynamic, automated environment autonomously.

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VI-grade has announced the installation of its HyperDock cockpit at Multimatic’s Vehicle Dynamics Centre in Novi, Michigan. This deployment marks the first instance of HyperDock technology in North America. The system upgrades an existing DiM250 driving simulator, installed in 2020, into a platform capable of simultaneous vehicle dynamics and NVH (Noise, Vibration, and Harshness) development.

The HyperDock consists of a carbon-fibre cockpit designed to increase stiffness and reduce inertia. By removing the traditional top disk in favour of a direct actuator interface and integrated vibro-acoustic feedback, the system allows engineers to assess ride, handling and acoustics within a single environment.

The upgrade introduces ‘full-spectrum’ simulation, which bridges the gap between high-frequency vibration testing and low-frequency motion cues.

• Construction: Lightweight carbon-fibre frame.
• Interface: Direct actuator connection to minimise signal delay and mechanical loss.
• Feedback: Integrated tactile and audio systems for vibro-acoustic realism.
• Application: Simultaneous tuning of vehicle handling and interior cabin noise.

Peter Gibbons, Technical Director – Vehicle Dynamics, Multimatic, said, “After evaluating the VI-grade HyperDock Full Spectrum Simulator cockpit at the SimCenter Udine over a year ago, Multimatic quickly realized that it would provide a significant step forward in the fidelity of all DiM applications, from road car ride tuning to race car limit handling. The overwhelmingly positive responses from Murray White, Technical Director of Vehicle Development at Multimatic, and Dirk Müller, professional race car driver, affirmed Multimatic’s decision to upgrade to HyperDock. The added immersion, superior tactile feedback, and audio advancements have moved the goalposts well beyond our expectations. Multimatic looks forward to continuing to leverage the impressive capabilities of HyperDock over the coming years.”

Alessio Lombardi, Global Sales Director – Simulation, VI-grade, added, “With the addition of HyperDock, Multimatic now benefits from full-spectrum simulation capability, expanding the scope of development activities that can be performed on an already well-established simulator platform. This installation represents an important milestone for VI-grade, as it brings HyperDock technology to North America for the first time.”

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Postponed from December 2025 to February 2026, the ADAS Show 2026 by Aayera was a combination of stalls where diverse players from the field of ADAS or autonomous driving highlighted their latest developments. There were live demo sessions that saw the use of passenger vehicles, trucks and dummies to highlight the technological prowess in the field.

Held at ARAI’s newest testing and certification facility for ADAS and other modern automotive technologies at Takwe (Pune), the show saw experts speak about the autonomous future in panel discussions, presentations etc. Live demos highlighted progress on the computing and vision front; on the software front, underlining certain zest.

In his inaugural address, Dr Reji Mathai, Director, ARAI, spoke about the motive behind setting up an ADAS testing facility at Takwe. Observing that tracks never give returns to draw attention to the decision of setting up an ADAS testing track at Takwe (the newest yet by ARAI), Dr Mathai informed that ARAI participates at the UN level in regulation forming.

Dr Mathai; Elie Luskin, Vice President – India and China, Mobil Eye, and Nina Roeck, Vice President – Software Engineering (Drive & Comfort), Ampere (Renault Group), were united in their expression about India’s unique traffic and driving conditions. The trio stressed on localisation of ADAS system parts such as sensors; on local engineering and development, and on local testing and validation.

“In India, the conditions are different and the effort therefore is to focus on perception, alerts and interventions that consider the local driving condition,” said Roeck.

Asserting that India’s expanding auto market has disproportionately low ADAS. Luskin explained, “ADAS would become mainstream as India’s GDP per capita grows.

Apurbo Kirty, Head – Electrical & Electronics, ERC, Tata Motors, focused on advanced driver assistance in CVs in his address. He referred to road challenges in India, road accident statistics and the challenges for ADAS implementation in terms of SAE autonomy levels, regulations like GSR 834 and how ADAS is a necessity rather than just a tech upgrade.  

Touching on the complexity of landscape of Indian road conditions, Abijit Sengupta, Head of Business – SAE and India, HERE Technologies, spoke about vehicle safety trends such as connected vehicles, autonomous, shared services and electrification.

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Changan Automobile and CATL have unveiled the first mass-production passenger vehicle equipped with sodium-ion batteries. The vehicle, showcased at the 'Changan SDA Intelligence Milestone Release', is scheduled for market release by mid-2026. CATL, acting as the strategic partner for the project, will supply its Naxtra sodium-ion batteries across Changan’s brands, including Avatr, Deepal, Qiyuan and UNI. The partnership introduces a dual-chemistry approach to the market, utilising sodium-ion alongside lithium-ion technologies.

CATL's Naxtra battery reaches an energy density of 175 Wh/kg. Utilising a Cell-to-Pack system and a battery management system (BMS), the technology provides a range exceeding 400 km. Future iterations are projected to reach 500–600 km for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and 300–400 km for hybrids.

The technology is designed for operation in cold climates. At –30deg Celsius, the battery delivers triple the discharge power of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) alternatives. It maintains 90 percent capacity retention at –40deg Celsius and continues to function at –50deg Celsius. Safety testing, including drilling and crushing, resulted in no smoke or fire.

The global sodium-ion battery market is forecast to grow from USD 1.39 billion in 2025 to USD 6.83 billion by 2034. To support adoption, CATL plans to establish over 3,000 Choco-Swap battery swap stations across 140 cities in China by the end of 2026, with a focus on northern regions.

The launch follows a decade of research. Since 2016, CATL has invested nearly 10 billion RMB (USD 1.45 billion) into sodium-ion technology, developing approximately 300,000 test cells. The project was supported by a dedicated team of 300 personnel to ensure scalability and performance.

Gao Huan, CTO of CATL's China E-car Business, said, "The arrival of sodium-ion technology marks the beginning of a dual-chemistry era. Changan's vision shows both its responsibility for energy security and its strategic foresight. Much as it embraced electric vehicles years ago, Changan is once again taking the lead with its sodium-ion roadmap. At CATL, we value the opportunity to work alongside such an industry leader and fully support its strategy, combining our expertise to bring safe, reliable and high-performance sodium-ion technology to market."

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Following its international unveiling at CES 2026, drivebuddyAI, a leading innovator in AI-powered Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and Driver Monitoring Systems (DMS), recently demonstrated its technology at the ARAI ADAS Test City. The company presented its range of vision-based Advanced Driver Assistance and Driver Monitoring Systems, focusing on their reliability in the varied and challenging conditions typical of Indian roads.

Live demonstrations were conducted using a heavy commercial vehicle to showcase the platform's versatility in meeting various compliance standards. A single, integrated hardware and software setup, utilising a fused network of cameras for 360-degree perception, executed multiple test scenarios simultaneously. These included a driver monitoring system that detects drowsiness, distraction and seatbelt usage in line with both Indian and European regulations. Further tests illustrated the vehicle's ability to warn of pedestrians moving into its path, identify potential collisions with cyclists in blind spots and issue forward collision warnings by combining radar and camera data.

Beyond merely fulfilling test requirements, the demonstrations highlighted practical applications that extend into everyday driving situations. This focus on real-world functionality is backed by extensive validation, with the company's systems having analysed nearly four billion kilometres of driving data. This has reportedly led to significant safety improvements, including a marked decrease in incidents caused by driver fatigue and a substantial reduction in overall fleet risks.

Currently validated for commercial vehicles against India's AIS-184 standard and Europe's stringent General Safety Regulation and Euro NCAP protocols for 2026, the technology is also adaptable for passenger cars. This scalability offers automotive manufacturers and their suppliers a pathway to not only meet but surpass upcoming global safety mandates. By refining its AI through extensive fleet operations over billions of kilometres before adapting it for original equipment manufacturer compliance, drivebuddyAI aims to deliver a mature, rigorously tested product that ensures an enhanced user experience.

Nisarg Pandya, CEO and Founder, drivebuddyAI, said, “ADAS Test City from ARAI is a great initiative, and we value participating in a format where we can showcase live demonstrations to a large audience together on the vehicle. This time, the turnout was significant and provided a strong opportunity to establish drivebuddyAI as one of the key players in the upcoming OEM compliance requirements. The engagement and response we received were phenomenal, reinforcing both the market need and the industry’s confidence in our solutions. The upcoming ADAS-compliant vehicles must have technology that works in Indian scenarios to achieve meaningful safety improvements and reduce fatalities.”

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