How did the partnership with Saietta form? Could you elaborate on the role of Padmini in the partnership?

Kabir Bhandari: We were introduced to Saietta around three years ago, and with the evolution of electric vehicles, we see clear synergies between the two companies. The unique Saietta axial flux motor is perfect for Indian two- and three-wheeler applications. It is power-dense, more efficient than the radial flux motors resulting in a longer range with the same battery capacity, completely sealed and develops power and torque at low RPMs, enhancing efficiency and life.

We are excited to bring AFT to India, and we will deploy our expertise in tailoring the motor precisely to the customer’s needs. They are designed specifically for the Indian environment and usage, where the roads are often underwater, potholed and dusty, and the majority of the population uses two-wheelers.

What capabilities will Padmini VNA offer in the partnership?

Kabir Bhandari: Padmini brings competent engineering, the ability to take the motor and build the system around it with the battery module, BMS, motor controller etc. to the table as needed by the customer.

What is the initial volume, and what about the procurement of components to AFT?

Kabir Bhandari: Initial volumes will depend on the uptake of electrification. But we are confident that the country will adopt this technology faster than predicted. The aim is to produce the motor totally in India.

Last year, the company formed a JV with Vitesco Technologies and is now partnering with Saietta. What will be the focus for the next collaborations?

Kabir Bhandari: We are always open and constantly evaluating new ideas. Still, we want to consolidate and strengthen the collaborations we have launched for the next few years and get them to scale profitably.

How will the electrification of vehicles evolve, according to you? How will you cater to the same?

Kabir Bhandari: This question is very difficult to answer as there is a range of projections across the table. As a company, we have ridden many waves of technical change, from horns to emissions, and have negotiated the move from BS to BSVI over the years. This has made us develop our own technology and invest heavily in people and facilities to design, develop and validate. We hold many international patents and will continue to invest heavily in the future. Electrification is a megatrend that cannot be ignored, and therefore we are investing in it.

Could you highlight the current activities around PV Clean Mobility Technologies, the JV between Padmini VNA and Vitesco Technologies?

Kabir Bhandari: Our current focus in the JV is developing high-efficiency fuel pumps for cars and two-wheelers and low-cost actuators for engine applications. Along with our partners, we are also exploring to start working on electrification innovation which will fuel the future growth in coming years for India.

Any plans to extend the partnership with Saietta?

Kabir Bhandari: We believe in long-term relationships, whether it is with the team members of Padmini VNA, the suppliers we work with, the customers we serve, or our partners. We bring the same approach to our partnership with Saietta.

The company is also developing solutions for hybrid vehicles. How do you see the hybrid vehicle market growth?

Kabir Bhandari: Again, there are many expert papers written on this. Hybrids are an excellent compromise between electrification and IC engines, especially for urban mobility with their frequent stop-start nature. It gives large benefits without having to invest heavily in the infrastructure for charging EVs. So, while EVs will be the preferred long-term solution, hybrids are an easy way of getting substantial emission-reduction benefits without big infrastructure changes, so it’s a good stepping point.

What are the challenges in the business?

Kabir Bhandari: To stay technologically relevant and be a supplier that our customers can trust for innovation. (MT)

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Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, in collaboration with industry partners, have published a study in Nature Communications demonstrating that reconfigurable battery pack architectures can extend electric vehicle battery operational life by more than 20 percent under specific conditions.

In conventional electric vehicle battery packs, cells are wired in a fixed series configuration, meaning the weakest cell dictates the overall capacity, performance and lifespan of the entire pack. The architecture evaluated by the Chalmers engineering team uses integrated electronic switches and a centralised battery management system to monitor individual cells or cell groups. When a cell experiences accelerated degradation or reduced capacity, the system bypasses the degraded unit while electric current continues to flow through the remaining functional cells.

Albert Skegro, a PhD student at the Department of Electrical Engineering at Chalmers University of Technology, said, "They must all move at the pace of the slowest person and stop when that person stops, regardless of how much energy the others have left. With the architecture we have modelled, the battery can instead bypass the cell that is causing problems and continue using the remaining cells."

Changfu Zou, Professor at the Department of Electrical Engineering at Chalmers, said, "Reconfiguration is not an on-or-off choice. It is a spectrum. Where a manufacturer chooses to position itself on that spectrum determines how much of the potential benefit can be realised."

In a representative modelling scenario featuring an 80 kWh battery pack driven 12,000 kilometres annually over an 18.8-year vehicle lifespan, the reconfigurable system deferred battery replacement by approximately 14 months. The researchers noted that the technology yields the highest performance gains in high-voltage vehicles, including 400-volt and 800-volt electric passenger cars and commercial trucks, where higher cell counts in series increase the statistical probability of individual cell variance.

A techno-economic analysis included in the study determined that implementing cell-level switching hardware increases initial pack production costs by approximately nine per cent based on prototype-scale volumes of 1,000 units. The researchers identified an economic break-even threshold at a 12 percent cost increase, noting that volume manufacturing would lower component costs and increase financial viability for fleet operators and private owners. While prototype applications such as Volvo Cars' SmartCell concept and experimental road vehicles exist, mass-production vehicles using reconfigurable battery packs are yet to enter the commercial market.

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Jakson Green Vehicles has selected Dassault Systèmes’ cloud-based 3DEXPERIENCE platform to manage the design and development of its electric vehicles.

The implementation establishes a collaborative engineering framework to maintain digital continuity across the product development lifecycle. By connecting internal teams and external suppliers, the platform automates workflows, standardises component libraries and manages engineering change requests during early-stage product design. Virtual twin capabilities allow the vehicle manufacturer to conduct virtual validation testing to resolve structural and systems design issues prior to physical manufacturing.

Deepak Thakur, CEO, Jakson Green Vehicles, said, "Using Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE Platform enables us to apply a collaborative approach and re-engineer our product lifecycle from the ground up. Through this transition from legacy environments to a unified digital thread, it enables strong R&D to achieve twin objectives; accelerated time-to-market and mitigated development costs. This partnership is helping us to transform the early-stage innovation and product design processes."

Deepak NG, Managing Director – India, Dassault Systèmes, said, "As India continues its dynamic growth trajectory, virtual twin technology serves as a powerful catalyst for sustainable innovation, empowering industries to rethink how they design, produce and operate."

The software adoption forms part of Jakson Green Vehicles' plan to build urban zero-emission mobility vehicles and infrastructure across India.

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UK-headquartered energy technology company Gelion has entered into a material transfer agreement with a top 15 global automotive original equipment manufacturer to assess its NES cathode platform for future electric vehicle battery applications.

Under the terms of the agreement, Gelion will supply its sulfur-based cathode active material, coated cathodes and liquid electrolyte to the automotive partner. The manufacturer will evaluate the platform in both liquid and solid electrolyte cell configurations, testing compatibility across lithium metal and graphitic anode pathways targeting luxury and mass-market vehicle applications. The technology is designed to serve as a drop-in cathode material capable of integration into existing battery manufacturing lines without re-tooling.

Matt Wood, Chief Executive Officer, Gelion, said, "Our priority markets are commercial & defence drones, EVs and devices. We are honoured to be working with these major global automotive OEMs, and today’s announcement marks further progress towards the adoption of our technology and the generation of commercial revenues via funded programmes and eventually license and royalty revenue in the global EV market, alongside some of the industry’s leading companies."

"The growing engagement from global EV manufacturers reinforces the potential and attractiveness of our NES™ technology. This momentum is also mirrored in our agreements and partnerships across drones and devices, while our work with Tier 1 materials suppliers is advancing the scale-up of our unique, patented battery materials," Wood added.

The agreement expands Gelion’s ongoing industry testing programs with automotive manufacturers, extending the assessment of its sulfur-based cathode platform across liquid and solid battery systems.

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Honda R&D, a subsidiary of Honda Motor Co., has developed underlying technology for a magnetic coupling wireless power transfer road system in partnership with Taisei Corporation and Taisei Rotec Corporation.

The system enables wireless in-motion charging for electric vehicles, including passenger cars and heavy commercial fleets. The partners plan to initiate demonstration testing on public roads starting in FY2027.

The technology integrates high-power-density receiver and transmitter units from Honda with a high-response direct current power supply system from Taisei and road-embedding construction techniques from Taisei Rotec. By supplying power to electric vehicles while in motion, dynamic wireless power transfer reduces the need for stationary charging infrastructure. The initial commercial focus targets logistics and transport operations, where continuous operation offers economic benefits.

The ground assembly embedded in the roadway combines the inverter and coil into a single unit designed to connect via direct current distribution. This design reduces component counts, simplifies wiring and supports installation into existing road surfaces through standard milling methods. The road pavement structures are engineered to withstand continuous traffic loads from vehicles weighing up to 20 tonnes (20,000kg).

Testing conducted at Taisei Group’s T-FIELD facility in Satte verified system stability and structural durability. Starting in late 2026, the companies will build a test roadway at T-FIELD Tamura to evaluate long-term durability under one million wheel-load cycles, measure power transfer efficiency at outputs up to 150 kW and analyse electromagnetic shielding.

The partnership will also join the Tateyama Expressway demonstration project managed by East Nippon Expressway Company starting in 2027.

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