L-R: Anish Agarwal, Director, Sterling Tools and Dr. Liu Guoqing, Founder and Chairman, MINIEYE.

Sterling Tools has entered into a partnership with MINIEYE, a Hong Kong-listed developer of intelligent driving and in-cabin solutions. The collaboration focuses on the deployment of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and Driver Monitoring Systems (DMS) tailored specifically for the Indian automotive market.

As per the agreement, Sterling Tools will lead application engineering and on-ground adaptation. This involves tuning perception algorithms to account for Indian road scenarios, traffic patterns, and environmental conditions. The project aims to ensure that safety technologies, such as Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) and Lane Departure Warning Systems (LDWS), function reliably in local settings rather than relying on global configurations.

The partnership is positioned to meet upcoming Indian safety mandates. Effective 1 January 2027, regulations will require the fitment of ADAS and Driver Drowsiness and Attention Warning Systems (DDAWS) in new vehicle models. The scope of the collaboration covers both commercial and passenger vehicles, including technologies for Forward Collision Warning (FCW) and Blind Spot Monitoring.

MINIEYE provides technology that complies with EU General Safety Regulations and holds Automotive SPICE V4.0 CL3 certification. Sterling Tools is supporting this transition as part of a broader expansion into electronics and safety-critical components, which includes electric vehicle power electronics and motor solutions.

Anish Agarwal, Director, Sterling Tools, said, “Road safety and regulatory compliance are becoming increasingly important across both commercial and passenger vehicle segments in India. This collaboration allows us to work with a global technology partner to address the growing need for driver assistance and monitoring systems that are engineered for Indian operating conditions. At Sterling Tools, our focus remains on supporting OEMs with engineered, safety critical technologies aligned with upcoming regulatory requirements.”

Dr Liu Guoqing, Founder and Chairman, MINIEYE, added, “Partnering with Sterling Tools marks a vital step in bringing intelligent driving to India, leveraging Sterling Tools local expertise to translate technology into production-ready applications that enhance vehicle safety.”

Vadodara-based Electronics System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) company Aimtron Electronics has secured its first order from a European Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM). The contract, valued at approximately INR 38 million, involves providing box-build solutions for a client headquartered in Europe with manufacturing operations in Spain.

The order marks the company's entry into the European market, serving automotive and industrial sectors. Aimtron anticipates that revenues from this engagement could scale to four times the current size during the 2027 financial year.

The development follows the announcement of the India–Europe Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which aims to improve the competitiveness of Indian manufacturers. Aimtron intends to leverage its manufacturing operations in India and the United States to diversify supply chains for European customers.

This European foray follows the company’s recent acquisition of a US-based electronics system design and manufacturing (ESDM) firm to strengthen its engineering capabilities for global OEMs.

Sneh Shah, Whole-time Director, Aimtron Electronics, said, “Meeting European automotive requirements demands a high level of process discipline, quality governance, and execution consistency. Aimtron has invested steadily in building these capabilities across box-build, traceability, and program management. This engagement reflects that readiness and provides a clear pathway to scale programs across European end-markets.”

MAHLE has introduced an advanced heat recovery system that enhances the efficiency of cabin heating in electric vehicles, directly addressing the challenge of reduced range in cold weather. This innovation, the MAHLE HeatX Range+, reclaims thermal energy from the vehicle's exhaust air. As interior air is expelled, it passes through the air conditioning evaporator, where its heat is transferred to the refrigerant. This captured energy is then used to preheat incoming fresh air before it enters the cabin.

This process reduces the total energy demand for the vehicle's climate control system by approximately 20 percent compared to conventional methods. In practical testing with a mid-size electric vehicle at an outside temperature of -7°C and a cabin target of 20°C, the system extended the driving range by nearly 10 kilometres. Beyond range extension, the continuous influx of fresh air maintains high interior air quality and minimises window fogging.

Engineered for seamless integration, the system has no adverse effect on airflow or acoustics. Its modular design allows manufacturers to incorporate it into existing vehicle architectures easily and cost-effectively. MAHLE developed the technology drawing on its extensive expertise in thermal management, and the current configuration for refrigerant R1234yf can be readily adapted for use with future alternative refrigerants.

Martin Wellhoeffer, Member of the MAHLE Group Management Board, responsible for the business unit Thermal and Fluid Systems, said, "Our HeatX Range+ heat recovery concept maximises the everyday practicality of electric vehicles in winter and makes a decisive contribution to further increasing the attractiveness of electric mobility.”

Dr Uli Christian Blessing, Vice President – R&D Thermal and Fluid Systems, MAHLE, said, "As early as the 1990s, MAHLE introduced the '’Economizer'’, the first cabin heat recovery system concept for passenger and commercial vehicles, thereby pioneering today’s trend towards efficient cabin climate control.”

Tata Technologies has announced that its battery intelligence platform, WATTSync, is now equipped to meet India’s upcoming Battery Aadhaar requirements. The digital identity and traceability framework aligns with the EU Battery Regulation (EU BR 2023/1542).

The platform supports India’s mandated 21-character Battery Pack Aadhaar Number (BPAN), which allows manufacturers to manage identifiers across production, operations and recycling workflows.

WATTSync utilises a QR-code-enabled identity engine to provide access to both static and dynamic battery data. The system manages manufacturer identifiers, material composition, chemistry and battery carbon footprint (BCF).

To meet mandates for dynamic data, the platform integrates with Battery Management Systems (BMS) to track – State of Health (SoH), charge-discharge cycles, thermal events and operational parameters.

The architecture is cloud-ready and supports API-based data exchange with government-authorised central servers, ensuring traceability across the supply chain.

The platform includes Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) to provide structured data views for suppliers, operators, and regulators. Additionally, AI-driven analytics are used for predictive maintenance, including thermal anomaly detection and Remaining Useful Life (RUL) estimation.

For manufacturers under the ACC-PLI scheme, WATTSync provides provenance documentation to verify cell origin. The platform also tracks recovered materials and carbon footprints to support circular economy objectives and recycling chain mandates in both India and the EU.

Chinese technology company Pony.ai has announced that the first mass-produced bZ4X Robotaxi, developed in partnership with Toyota, has rolled off the production line. This marks the transition to scaled production and commercial deployment for the collaboration.

The partners plan to produce over 1,000 bZ4X units in 2026. These vehicles will be introduced into commercial services across Tier 1 cities in China, supporting Pony.ai's objective to expand its fleet to over 3,000 vehicles by the end of the year.

The bZ4X Robotaxi is equipped with Pony.ai’s seventh-generation (Gen-7) autonomous driving system. Key features of the hardware include:

• Automotive-Grade Components: 100 percent of the core components meet automotive standards.
• Cost Efficiency: The bill of materials (BOM) cost for the autonomous driving kit has been reduced by 70 percent compared to the previous generation.
• User Features: The system includes Bluetooth unlocking, in-cabin voice interaction, and climate control, with software tuning to reduce motion sickness through refined acceleration and braking.

The vehicle was developed by Pony.ai, Toyota Motor China and GAC Toyota, with production managed by GAC Toyota. The assembly process integrates the Toyota Production System (TPS) and adheres to Toyota’s Quality, Durability and Reliability (QDR) principles. Dedicated systems for quality and safety management have been established to support large-scale operations.

The collaboration between Pony.ai and Toyota began in 2019. Since then, the companies have established a joint venture focused on Robotaxi design and manufacturing. This milestone follows the launch of other Gen-7 models that entered commercial service in November last year.

The partners stated that this production milestone demonstrates a pathway for autonomous technology to move from limited validation to mass production.