Chinese technology major Xiaomi has opened its Xiaomi EV Europe Research and Development (R&D) and Design Centre in Munich, Germany, which is the first-of-its-kind facility for the company globally.

This new facility marks a pivotal milestone in the company’s global EV strategy, designed to propel advancements in smart mobility and automotive innovation while further realising the company's ‘Human x Car x Home’ smart ecosystem strategy.

The Xiaomi EV R&D and Design Centre will focus on performance vehicle projects, electric vehicle technology development, design innovation, customer orientation and advanced research.

The Chinese technology company shared that by leveraging world-class competencies and ecosystem, it aims to accelerate breakthroughs in intelligent driving and vehicle dynamics.

The Munich facility will bring together engineers, designers and researchers to collaborate with Xiaomi EV’s global teams. The idea is to leverage international talent development and embrace an open, forward-looking environment that encourages breakthroughs in vehicle performance, autonomous driving, EV platforms and next-generation user experiences.

The inauguration, the company said, represents a significant step in Xiaomi EV’s mission to become a global leader in the new era of smart mobility. Following the successful launches of Xiaomi SU7, Xiaomi SU7 Ultra and Xiaomi YU7 in Mainland China, this expansion is a significant progress towards the company’s long-term ‘Human x Car x Home’ smart ecosystem strategy as it prepares for its entry to the European Market in 2027.

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Mercedes-Benz India has introduced a transformative new Dealer Management System named SKYLine, a custom platform developed in collaboration with Zoho. This system represents a significant technological leap, engineered entirely in India to meet the specific demands of the local luxury automotive market. SKYLine is built to overhaul the entire customer service journey, creating a seamless and digitally integrated experience from the moment a vehicle is booked for service until it is returned to its owner.

The platform marks a strategic departure from older, fragmented systems by implementing a modern, decentralised architecture. A key feature of this new approach is that each Mercedes-Benz dealership across India now operates on its own dedicated instance of Zoho CRM. This grants individual locations a high degree of operational autonomy while still ensuring they adhere to the brand’s centrally governed standards and processes. A critical technical achievement was the system's ability to integrate flawlessly with the manufacturer's existing European headquarters infrastructure without requiring any modifications to those core systems, facilitated by a sophisticated co-developed middleware layer.

By digitising the complete service lifecycle, SKYLine introduces unprecedented operational efficiency and transparency. The system manages a comprehensive suite of processes, including service booking, digital check-in, vehicle inspection and job card creation. It also enables skill-based assignment of technicians, allows for live job tracking and automates customer communications. This connected workflow eliminates previous inefficiencies, creating a cohesive and paperless journey for the customer. The platform's scope extends beyond core services to also streamline other dealership operations, such as managing courtesy car availability through visual dashboards and centralising processes for the growing pre-owned vehicle business.

The deployment of SKYLine was supported by an extensive rollout programme involving thousands of man-days dedicated to user training and testing to ensure widespread and effective adoption. Orchestrated by Zoho’s Enterprise Business Solutions team, the project stands as one of the most technically sophisticated and strategically important Dealer Management System implementations in the region, fundamentally modernising the customer ownership experience for Mercedes-Benz in India.

Santosh Iyer, Managing Director & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India, said, “SKYLine represents a significant step towards managing our customer service operations, being a key lever that will significantly enhance customer’s experience. This bespoke DMS is built by Zoho for our dealer partners, making it seamless and highly integrated into our global systems, redefining customer journey. With SKYLine, we are setting a new benchmark in customer experience by blending technology with personalised service. We are proud that Zoho developed a world-class, highly secured and local ‘no code-no source’ platform like SKYLine for the Indian customers, underlining the unmatched prowess of Indian technological innovation, having international adaptability. SKYLine brings transparency, efficiency and control into every service interaction, empowering customers while delivering an elevated experience which they desire from Mercedes-Benz.”

Mani Vembu, CEO, Zoho, said, “SKYLine is a technology marvel born of close collaboration and co-creation. When Mercedes-Benz India came to us with a vision that had no off-the-shelf solution, we saw an opportunity to build something truly unique. Together, we have built a decentralised platform that empowers each dealership with autonomy while maintaining central control and real-time HQ integration. To meet these complex needs, we co-developed middleware capabilities alongside our evolving Qntrl platform, enabling seamless communication across legacy protocols. This project reflects what’s possible when product teams and customers come together with a shared sense of purpose and a commitment to solving real-world challenges.”

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Ola Electric has announced that it has secured ARAI (Automotive Research Association of India) certification for its indigenously developed and manufactured 4680 Bharat Cell battery packs in a 5.2 kWh configuration. The certification was granted under the latest AIS-156 Amendment 4 standards.

This makes Ola Electric the first EV company in India to receive certification for a completely in-house developed 4680 cell battery pack.

With this milestone, Ola Electric will soon begin delivering vehicles powered by its own 4680 Bharat Cells. The certified pack is set to debut on the S1 Pro+ 5.2 kWh, making it the first Ola vehicle to use the company's homegrown cell technology.

The company states that the shift from third-party cells to its own 4680 Bharat Cells is a decisive step toward vertical integration in EVs. This is expected to significantly enhance range and performance, improve unit economics and reduce dependence on global supply chains as its upcoming Gigafactory scales production.

The certification process involved rigorous testing regimes for safety, electrical reliability and performance across extreme operating conditions, including successful clearance of water immersion, vibration durability and thermal shock resistance.

An Ola Electric spokesperson said: “With the ARAI certification of our 4680 Bharat Cell battery pack, we are ready to deliver our first vehicles powered by our own cells. This is a defining milestone in our mission to build India’s EV technology leadership and reduce reliance on global supply chains. Customers will soon be able to experience the enhanced range, performance and reliability that our homegrown cells bring to our scooters and motorcycles.”

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German automotive major Volkswagen has now produced over two million models equipped with Car2X technology for Europe, marking a step toward reducing road traffic accidents and achieving the company's ‘Vision Zero’ goal.

The Car2X technology enables networked vehicles to communicate with each other and with local traffic infrastructure in real-time, using the principle of local swarm intelligence.

The vehicles can exchange data in milliseconds without needing a mobile network connection, allowing the traffic hazard alert assist system to display warnings in the digital cockpit for occupants. These alerts are crucial in situations requiring fast transmission, such as emergency braking, sudden traffic queue ends or approaching emergency vehicles.

Connectivity is increasing through intelligent roadside units that send warnings to vehicles about events like wrong-way drivers, traffic jams, objects on the road and unusual weather.

Road operators and rescue services across Europe are integrating Car2X. Autobahn in Germany has equipped over 1,000 roadworks trailers with the technology, while Austria has installed roadside units across its motorway network. Other countries, including Italy, Spain, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovenia, have also installed a number of roadside units and equipped emergency vehicles.

The technology enables, for example, compatible road users receive a warning indicating the direction from which an emergency vehicle such as fire truck is approaching.

The technology acts as a virtual sensor that supplements on-board vehicle sensors. For instance, the optional Travel Assist with ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control) can reduce the vehicle's speed even if the end of a traffic queue is not yet visible.

Veronica Lehr, Head of Driver Assist Systems in Volkswagen’s Development department, said, “With the increasing use of Car2X, road traffic can become more cooperative and anticipatory in many areas. The technology is therefore a key component for our ‘Vision Zero’ – traffic without serious accidents. In addition, Volkswagen is laying the foundation for the mobility of the future, which is set to be safer, intelligent and connected.”

The Car2X direct communication in Volkswagen models uses the Wi-Fi p standard, allowing vehicles to exchange warnings and location data within a radius of up to 800 metre. The process is open and standardised, enabling communication across manufacturers. To protect privacy, the notifications are anonymised.

The traffic hazard alert assist system with Car2X-technology is currently available in models such as the Golf, T-Roc, Tiguan, Passat, ID.3, ID.4, ID.5 and is standard in the ID.7. Volkswagen was recently awarded the AutomotiveINNOVATIONS Award 2025 by the Centre of Automotive Management (CAM) as the most innovative volume brand, with electric mobility and connectivity highlighted.

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South Korea-based tier 2 supplier Mobase Electronics Co. and California-based UltraSense Systems have announced the production ramp of a solid-state infotainment touch bar now shipping on a high-volume global SUV platform.

The new touch bar aims to modernise the cabin interface by replacing previous mechanical interfaces. It pairs UltraSense’s Force HMI Controller with in-plane piezoelectric force sensing, localised haptics and capacitive touch to deliver a sleek design and a ‘press-to-confirm’ feel.

The force-based approach reduces false triggering compared with capacitive-only designs and offers tuneable force thresholds. The solution also meets automotive Grade-B operating requirements.

The companies highlight that the technology aligns with Euro NCAP’s 2026 direction encouraging tactile controls for functions, as the solid-state bar beneath the display allows drivers to adjust settings by feel rather than visually navigating menus.

Kwangyoon Lee, Vice-Chairman & CEO, Mobase Electronics, said, “Working with UltraSense, we’re delivering a contemporary interface that elevates both feel and manufacturability. The combination of capacitive touch, piezoelectric force and haptics gives drivers confident control with a modern look.”

Mo Maghsoudnia, Founder & CEO, UltraSense Systems, said, “Mobase has been an excellent partner from concept to SOP. Our Force HMI Controller with in-plane sensing brings a robust HMI solution with a premium experience, supporting the modern interior designs automakers want.”

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