Vitesco Technologies Opens Its Plant Of The Future

Vitesco Technologies Opens Its Plant Of The Future

Vitesco Technologies has opened its new plant, which will cater to the growing demand for highly efficient, low-emission technologies for internal combustion engines, as well as electrified and all-electric drive systems, at Talegaon, Pune. The company invested around EUR 30 million in the infrastructure, buildings and plant. Spread across 20 acres, the plant will employ 900 people.

Klaus Hau, Member of the Executive Board at Vitesco Technologies, and Anurag Garg, Managing Director & Country Head of Vitesco Technologies India Private Limited, attended the event. Initially, the new plant will cater to the two-wheeler market, followed by various powertrain solutions products such as engine management systems, sensors and actuators, as well as exhaust management components for passenger cars and commercial vehicles. “Building this factory was a major milestone for Vitesco Technologies, allowing us to provide better value to our clients in the Indian market,” said Hau during the inauguration event. “India plays a central part in our global growth strategy. The country's automotive industry is currently undergoing what is possibly the most significant transformation in its history. The objective is to achieve a twin technological transformation: from fossil fuels to renewable energy and from analogue to digital technology. We embrace this transformation and have already begun to design our strategic course. Also, with the new facility, we will be able to better respond to market demands and developments in the future,” he added. 

Like all Vitesco Technologies facilities, this cutting-edge plant in Pune meets its grid demand entirely through renewable energy. Furthermore, the site generates sustainable electricity. All-new photovoltaic systems have been installed, generating 03 GWh of solar energy. The present installed capacity is 2.6 MW, with the company aiming to raise it to 3.6 MW by the end of the year. With over 25 cobots and robots installed on the production lines and shop floor, the facility is also strongly pursuing automation, digitisation and Industry 4.0. 

Garg mentioned, “Our mission is to develop highly efficient, low-emission technologies for internal combustion engines and electrification technologies for all types of vehicles in India. For this, we built a futuristic plant – one that is intelligent, sustainable and predictive. With these key characteristics, we were able to construct this plant of the future in Pune. Several creative projects have been completed at this facility. These projects on digitisation, automation and sustainability across our manufacturing network have helped us to shape the Plant of the Future.” 

He further added, “Due to the growing carbon footprint, we also considered climate change while building this facility. I am delighted to say that the facility in Pune is operating at a carbon neutral level and has fully established itself as a driver of sustainability.”

Intangles Launches AIS-140-Certified Product Portfolio For India’s Commercial Vehicle Sector

Intangles AIS140

Intangles has launched an AIS-140-certified product portfolio in India across four distinct configurations: InCert, InSight, InGenious and InVision+. The product lineup supports commercial vehicle segments ranging from three-wheelers and cabs to light, medium and heavy commercial vehicles and buses.

The portfolio integrates India's AIS-140 vehicle tracking and emergency alert requirements with predictive fleet intelligence. InCert provides certified tracking, trip management, geofencing, and driver alerts. InSight adds driver behaviour reporting, fuel consumption insights and fault codes with repair guidance. InGenious introduces predictive vehicle health monitoring, fuel management, and automated operations tools. InVision+ combines the certified hardware with AI-powered video telematics using dual cameras and in-cabin voice alerts.

All four versions run on Intangles' InRoute fleet intelligence platform. The devices are available through field sales channels and the company's direct-to-consumer platform, InCentral, which handles compatibility checks, purchases, and VLTD certificate generation.

Anup Patil, CEO, Intangles, said, "The size of a fleet should not determine whether an operator can access predictive intelligence. A vehicle off the road can significantly affect a business, whether it owns five vehicles or five hundred. With a certified device already installed and connected whenever the vehicle runs, operators should be able to choose the value it delivers to their business. Intangles’ new range brings this promise to life through #ChoiceOkPlease, giving operators the flexibility and freedom to choose a solution that meets compliance requirements and addresses their everyday operational challenges."

ARAPL Subsidiary Humro Secures US Department Of War Approval For Autonomous Industrial Vehicles

ARAPL - ARAPL RaaS

Affordable Robotic & Automation (ARAPL) has announced that its subsidiary ARAPL RaaS, operating under the Humro brand, has received Conditional Approval from the US Department of War for its specified autonomous industrial vehicles under the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) framework.

The approval, issued by the FCC following national security assessments, covers Humro’s Maia2000 autonomous pallet trucks and Atlas AC2000 autonomous forklifts. The decision grants the specified devices exemption from FCC Covered List restrictions, which were introduced in July 2026 for foreign-produced robotic devices.

Humro is among 13 global robotics operators, and the only Indian entity, to receive conditional authorization under the updated guidelines. The approval enables the company to enter the US material-handling market, subject to compliance with onshoring plans, local manufacturing commitments over the next two years, and equipment authorisation requirements.

Robinson Philipose, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Humro, said, "This is a significant milestone for Humro and an important validation of our technology and our commitment to building globally competitive robotics solutions. Being among the first few robotics companies worldwide to receive Conditional Approval under the revised US regulatory framework is a matter of great pride for us."

"Following the regulatory changes, our team worked relentlessly to replace certain key components that did not meet the revised guidelines. This also required us to make corresponding changes to our technology to ensure compliance. We completed the modifications, submitted our application and secured FCC approval within a remarkably short period. This demonstrates the agility and technical capabilities of our team. The approval strengthens our position as we look to expand our international footprint and take our autonomous material-handling solutions to customers in the US. We see considerable potential for robotics to transform warehouse, manufacturing and logistics operations. As part of the Conditional Approval, we are also committed to commencing manufacturing in the US in phases over the next two years. We are actively looking to partner with like-minded local players to establish our manufacturing operations in the country," Philipose.

Melind Padole, Founder and Director, ARAPL Group, said, "These are exciting times, with our teams in the US and India expanding rapidly. Securing FCC approval within such a short period demonstrates the strength of our team and the capabilities of our products. As we prepare to commence manufacturing in the US in line with FCC requirements, we have also begun working towards meeting the requirements of the Buy American Act (BAA) and the Trade Agreements Act (TAA). In parallel, we are developing a new technology platform based on Vision-Language Action models. Our next-generation robots will be more human-like in their ability to perceive, understand and interact with their surroundings, and will incorporate reinforcement learning capabilities. This will enable them to learn from experience, adapt to changing environments and perform increasingly complex tasks."

Infineon Partners Qualcomm To Support Central Car Computers For Software-Defined Vehicles

Infineon

Infineon Technologies has announced a technology agreement with Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. to integrate a microcontroller-based design pattern into Qualcomm's Snapdragon Ride reference platforms for high-performance computing and in-vehicle Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The initiative combines Qualcomm's systems-on-chip (SoC) with Infineon's hardware and software components for safety management, connectivity and memory handling to support centralised architectures in Software-Defined Vehicles (SDVs). The development will be highlighted ahead of the electronica trade fair in Munich.

The subsystem is built around an Infineon AURIX microcontroller and OPTIREG integrated circuits for power management, operating alongside Qualcomm's Snapdragon Ride and Ride Flex platforms to monitor system health, coordinate safety mechanisms and provide real-time control.

The architecture is supported by a dedicated software package designed to pre-integrate firmware and connect with vehicle networks such as Ethernet and CAN. In addition to the microcontroller subsystem, Infineon contributes BRIGHTLANE Automotive Ethernet and USB connectivity devices alongside SEMPER NOR Flash memory qualified for the Snapdragon Ride ecosystem.

Peter Schiefer, President of the Automotive Division, Infineon, said, "With Qualcomm Technologies’ Snapdragon Ride, we enable the automotive industry to build and scale a new generation of car computers that combine tremendous computing and AI capabilities with the reliability required on the road. Our collaboration reflects a fundamental approach to centralised vehicle computing, which combines a powerful SoC with a set of specialised components around it, including a safety microcontroller, power management, connectivity and memory devices. All these components need to work together seamlessly to help enable safe vehicle operation. Infineon provides essential functional building blocks and integration expertise for building the trust foundation for software-defined vehicles that leverage the power of AI."

LG Energy Solution Launches Global Battery Innovation Contest 2026

BIC 2026

LG Energy Solution has announced the launch of the Battery Innovation Contest 2026 (BIC 2026), inviting universities and research institutions globally to submit research proposals between 29 October and 6 December 2026 via its online open innovation platform, BRIDGE.

Now in its 10th year, the program aims to identify and fund research concepts with potential for commercialisation across the battery industry. BIC 2026 incorporates two application streams: a thematic call addressing specific development topics identified by LG Energy Solution across materials, cells, battery management systems and artificial intelligence; and an open-topic call permitting researchers to submit original proposals.

To safeguard intellectual property, the contest uses a two-stage evaluation process requiring a brief concept proposal during the initial review before shortlisted applicants submit detailed submissions.

Since 2017, the Battery Innovation Contest has supported approximately 50 research projects. Select projects with verified feasibility have been expanded into longer-term initiatives at the company's Frontier Research Laboratory joint research centres. Previous outcomes include patent filings for physics-based battery management models and research on room-temperature all-solid-state batteries published in academic journals.

Je-Young Kim, CTO, LG Energy Solution, said, "By joining forces, industry and academia can drive innovation across the battery industry. Building on our differentiated technological competitiveness, LG Energy Solution will continue to accelerate its growth in the battery market."