Southeast Asia’s first operational smart battery-swapping station for electric taxis and ride-hailing vehicles has been officially launched on Phuket Island, marking a regional and global milestone in EV infrastructure deployment outside China.

The opening ceremony, co-hosted by UCAR Inc. and UNEX EV, showcased their partnership with Thai energy leader SUSCO.

Pitak Pruittisarikorn, Global CEO of UNEX EV, said, "The station employs UOTTA intelligent battery-swapping technology, featuring standardised, modular hardware design and AI-enhanced station control systems. These innovations significantly increase efficiency and intelligence in battery-swapping operations, laying a critical foundation for the coming era of unmanned and automated mobility."

Pairoj Srilamul, Chief District Officer of Phuket, commented, “Phuket is a world-renowned tourist destination, attracting tens of millions of visitors annually. In an era that advocates low-carbon economies and green development, we are pleased to witness UCAR introducing this cutting-edge battery-swapping model. It provides a faster, more convenient and economically viable path to electrifying commercial road transport. I believe we will see a significant increase in battery-swappable vehicles operating on Phuket roads in the next 2–3 years."

Dr. Akaranan Ariyasripong, CEO of Auto Drive, said, "Auto Drive has deployed a fleet of UNEX EV vehicles equipped with UOTTA battery-swapping systems for daily taxi and ride-hailing services in Phuket. From an operational perspective, battery-swapping reduces the upfront cost of electric vehicles. Moreover, battery swaps can be completed in just a few minutes, avoiding the need for long charging waits. This saves valuable operational time for drivers and improves fleet efficiency and reliability. Auto Drive will continue expanding its battery-swappable vehicle fleet and extend the service to other cities across Thailand."

The Phuket battery-swapping station features AI-driven control, modular hardware and advanced data systems, supporting multi-model compatibility and communication channels for Level 4 autonomous vehicles. 

Zhan Xie, Strategic Investor and Co-Chairman of UCAR, said, "The UOTTA system aligns with the global mobility revolution –  ‘smart traffic infrastructure demands second-level energy replenishment for EVs.’ In high-frequency, time-sensitive scenarios like Robotaxi operations, traditional charging models are insufficient. Battery swapping, with its speed, safety and unmanned potential, is emerging as the mainstream energy solution. The bottleneck for scaling autonomous fleets is no longer just self-driving technology, but autonomous energy replenishment infrastructure."

He added that UCAR’s Vehicle–Station–Cloud–Token system is building an intelligent, data-driven network integrating mobility energy replenishment and energy trading, essential for the future of global smart mobility.

The new station marks the start of wider plans across Southeast Asia. UCAR and SUSCO are rolling out UOTTA infrastructure across nearly 1,000 Thai fuelling stations, with facilities intended for taxis, public transport and commercial vehicles. The model will soon be replicated in Singapore, where 50 stations and 5,000 battery-swappable EVs are scheduled within three years.

Internationally, UCAR has set up joint ventures in Portugal and is planning further deployments in Peru, advancing a global network that links clean energy and smart mobility through battery swapping technology.

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MapmyIndia Mappls, a digital mapping and geospatial technology company, and Zoho, a technology company, have announced a collaboration to integrate two MapmyIndia features directly within Zoho CRM. The features being integrated are Address Capture and Nearby Lead Finder.

The integration allows Zoho CRM users to: capture verified addresses, visualise customer locations, discover potential leads in nearby areas and optimise sales routes. These functions are powered by MapmyIndia’s mapping platform.

Rakesh Verma, Co-Founder, Managing Director & Group Chairman, MapmyIndia Mappls, said, “This partnership between MapmyIndia and Zoho is a true blue Swadeshi celebration – two Indian innovators and leaders in their respective fields - coming together to deliver cutting-edge, homegrown technology that is world-class. MapmyIndia Mappls Address Capture and Nearby Lead Finder capabilities will help Zoho CRM users across India to work smarter and sell better, while keeping all data and innovation safe within India. I am confident that this partnership will boost collaborations amongst Indian tech companies creating a sympathetic ecosystem towards the realisation of an Atmanirbhar, Viksit Bharat.”

Mani Vembu, CEO, Zoho, said, "At Zoho, we believe that true technological progress begins with self-reliance. Building deep-tech R&D from India has always been one of our foundational pursuits, driven by the immense talent and creativity that thrive in the country. Our partnership with MapmyIndia embodies this vision, uniting homegrown expertise in business software and digital mapping to deliver solutions that are powerful, privacy-focused and proudly indigenous. This integration empowers Indian businesses by combining business intelligence with spatial intelligence, giving field teams the location-aware insights they need to better serve their customers."

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Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) has unveiled the Toyota Experiential Museum (TEM) in Bengaluru, which it said is a new cultural and lifestyle hub for the company. The space combines Indian philosophy with Japanese culture and technology.

Located on the ground floor of the Phoenix Mall of Asia, TEM is spread across 8,200 sq ft and offers a five-senses experience, blending Japanese minimalism with Indian warmth through visuals, sounds, scents, textures and flavours.

Tadashi Asazuma, Deputy Managing Director, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, said, “At Toyota, our vision of creating ‘Happier Paths Together’ goes beyond mobility – it is about inspiring experiences that connect people, cultures, and emotions. With TEM, we hope to offer a truly unique experience that embodies this spirit.

In India, we found inspiration in the practice of Sadhana – the mindful pursuit of inner balance and fulfilment. TEM is where the Japanese culture and values of precision, serenity, and respect for nature beautifully align with the spirit of Sadhana, making TEM a meaningful blend of both. Designed to engage the senses and spark reflection, it brings together art, technology, and craftsmanship to inspire mindfulness, especially amongst the youth.”

The museum features minimalist interiors and distinct aesthetics designed to spark curiosity, inviting guests to explore at their own pace. The journey begins with a mirrored and rhythmic experience of the changing seasons common to Japan and India, unfolding through infinite projections of light, colour and motion. It then rises into a celebration of shared passion, featuring an audio-visual collaboration with DRUM TAO. A display includes a water curtain encircling a car draped in satin.

A design cafe offers a range of merchandise blending heritage with contemporary lifestyle, celebrating simplicity and craftsmanship.

The TEM cafe features a curated menu that blends the Japanese tradition of matcha with Indian flavours. Highlights include the India-inspired mango infusion.

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Maruti Suzuki India (Maruti Suzuki) has announced an investment of nearly INR 20 million to pick up 7.84 percent stake in Bengaluru-based mobility insights start-up Ravity Software Solutions. The start-up claimed to be a global platform for AI-driven connected mobility intelligence, which transforms vehicle data into business value.

This marks the automaker’s third such move through ‘Maruti Suzuki Innovation Fund’, which makes strategic investments in innovative and high-potential start-ups that can support Maruti Suzuki India’s operations.

The company made its first investment of INR 20 million in Sociograph Solutions in June 2022, followed by the same amount in Amlgo Labs in March 2024.

Hisashi Takeuchi, Managing Director & CEO, Maruti Suzuki India, said, “Aligning to our core value of keeping customer at the core of our business, we are focused on enhancing vehicle ownership experience. In the age of open innovation, we strive to co-create business solutions with specialized entities operating in the particular field. Startups are ideal partners as they bring agility, fresh thinking, and cutting-edge solutions, to support our goal of ensuring customer delight. Our investment in Ravity Software Solutions will enable us to elevate customer experience through data-driven insights. We have been associating with startups since 2019 under our Maruti Suzuki Innovation programs. Through this initiative, we are investing in a culture of innovation, building strategic partnerships, and unlocking new opportunities, in line with Government’s ‘Startup India’ initiative to promote entrepreneurship in the country.”

Vikas Rungta, Founder, Ravity Software Solutions, said, “It is an honour to be associated with an industry leader like Maruti Suzuki, whose name is synonymous with bringing personal mobility to millions in India as well as across the globe. An automobile major like Maruti Suzuki partnering with a startup speaks volumes about its forward-thinking mindset, humility, and openness to learn and collaborate to explore new ideas. With our excellence and expertise in AI, analytics and mobility, we are committed to upholding the trust Maruti Suzuki has placed in us. We believe that the high complementarity of our strengths: Maruti Suzuki’s scale of business and our agility and entrepreneurship, will further enhance customer experience and delight.” 

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LG Display has secured two CES 2026 Innovation Awards from the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) for two automotive display innovations: Dual View OLED and Under Display Camera-infrared (UDC-IR) OLED.

Both products were honoured in the In-Vehicle Entertainment category for delivering space efficiency, superior picture quality and high standards of safety.

The Dual View OLED solution allows a single automotive display to show different content based on the viewing position. For example, the driver can view navigation while the front passenger streams content. Optimised pixel structure ensures the driver’s touch operation does not interfere with the passenger’s entertainment. The product utilises a Tandem OLED device structure for picture quality and operates reliably in environments ranging from -40deg C to 85deg C.

The UDC-IR OLED jointly developed with LG Innotek, is claimed to world’s first full-screen automotive display to conceal an in-screen driver-monitoring camera. LG Display developed advanced algorithms that make the camera hole invisible from the driver’s viewpoint. The camera integrates LG Innotek’s high-resolution IR camera and image-enhancement software to ensure accurate driver monitoring, which is becoming mandatory due to global safety regulations.

LG Display will showcase these solutions at a dedicated booth at CES 2026. The company has consistently won CES Innovation Awards, previously honoured for its Thin Actuator Sound Solution (CES 2023) and its 57-inch Pillar-to-Pillar LCD (CES 2024).

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