Zebra Technologies Corporation released the findings of its Automotive Ecosystem Vision Study. The study aimed to gauge industry views, priorities and expectations the industry faces, and the challenges and opportunities resulting from rapid digital transformation. All data was collected and tabulated by third-party research firm, Azure Knowledge Corporation.

The study confirmed automotive manufacturers are under pressure to accommodate growing consumers’ preference for electric vehicles (EVs) in the near future. Automotive manufacturers must plan for a smooth transition to EVs, which have a very different requirements from raw materials to final assembly. Technology-led priorities will therefore be focused on increasing automation, building in-house technologies and expanding visibility across their respective production and supply chains. 

The survey was conducted from August to September 2022, with participation from 1,336 respondents globally, including industry decision-makers, fleet managers and consumers. In APAC, the 350 respondents were surveyed across India, Greater China, Japan and South Korea.

APAC consumers, including India respondents, will prefer purchasing EVs in the future
The survey reflects that in the near future there will be a shift in preference, with more than half of consumers (53 percent globally, 60 percent in APAC, including India) indicating going for a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV). However, navigating this increasing demand for EVs comes with challenges as 68 percent of global automotive industry decision-makers (60 percent in APAC, including India) say they are under high pressure to produce next generation (electric) vehicles, while 75 percent of them (71 percent in APAC, including India) are under high pressure to deliver products that are more eco-friendly, sustainable and safer for the environment.

The study also highlights consumers across generations pushing automotive manufacturers’ acceleration to technology innovation as eight in ten say that sustainability and eco-friendliness are key priorities in their vehicle purchase and lease decisions. 87 percent of millennials prioritise sustainability in their vehicles followed closely by 78 percent of Gen Xers and 76 percent of baby boomers. Within APAC, 85 percent of consumers were aligned with these key priorities, consisting of 92 percent of millennials, 83 percent of Gen Xers and 72 percent of baby boomers prioritising sustainability the highest.

Consumers are driving the growing emphasis on personalisation – the ability to customise a vehicle to their liking. Nearly four in five consumers say personalisation options factor into their decision to purchase a vehicle, and eight in ten fleet managers share these same requirements for sustainability and personalisation. APAC consumers resonate with this most strongly when compared with their global counterparts, with 86 percent prioritising personalisation options in their purchasing decisions, and 92 percent of fleet managers sharing the same requirements.

While nearly 80 percent of automotive industry decision-makers globally (77 percent in APAC, including India) recognise consumers expect more sustainable and personalised vehicle options today, around seven in ten concede it’s difficult to keep up with increasing customisation demands. As a result, three in four automotive manufacturers globally say a top priority is to build strategic partnerships with tech companies for their next generation of production. This number is lower across APAC, at 72 percent and 64 percent respectively.

Tan Aik Jin, Vertical Solutions Marketing Lead APAC, Zebra Technologies, said, “The challenges that automotive manufacturers face today include finding and retaining qualified workforce, navigating supply chain disruptions, delivering on heightened expectations around speed and accuracy. While it’s heartening that consumers are leaning towards a greener automotive future with greater preference towards electric vehicles, this is a signal to automotive decision-makers to actively invest more in safer technologies and robust infrastructure, to better serve their customers.”

Trust and transparency in automotive manufacturing
Data and information transparency is highly important to consumers and fleet managers alike, and they are seeking more visibility into the automotive ecosystem. When considering a vehicle for purchase or lease, 81 percent of consumers globally (85 percent in APAC, including India) and 86 percent of fleet managers (92 percent in APAC, including India) indicate they want to understand the origin of materials and parts on their vehicle. Millennials lead the way in demanding more transparency in automotive manufacturing, as more than eight in ten (both globally and in APAC, including India) say it is important to have access to manufacturer information along with knowing if source materials and parts are sustainable and understanding how the vehicle is manufactured from end-to-end.

Beyond gaining greater visibility into the automotive manufacturing process, once they have their vehicles, 88 percent of consumers (82 percent in APAC, including India) and 86 percent of fleet managers (88 percent in APAC, including India) want to understand how the data from their vehicles will be used by the automotive ecosystem.

After a vehicle purchase, 83 percent of consumers and 84 percent of fleet managers expect ownership and control of the data their vehicle generates. This sentiment is similarly shared within APAC, by 86 percent of consumers and 88 percent of fleet managers.

Automotive supply chain visibility
A majority of consumers (79 percent globally, 83 percent in APAC, including India) and fleet managers (81 percent globally, 84 percent in APAC, including India) want end-to-end visibility during the manufacturing process. However, only around three in ten automotive industry decision-makers say they will prioritise connecting real-time data systems (30 percent in APAC, including India) to enable a holistic view of operations and increase visibility across production and throughout the supply chain over the next five years (32 percent in APAC, including India). 

Jin added, “To provide real-time visibility throughout the supply chain, digitising operations via RFID and rugged handheld mobile computers can ensure that both regulations and sustainability expectations are met effectively and efficiently.”

Slightly more than one-third of OEMs globally and in APAC said autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), RFID, rugged handheld mobile computers and scanners as well as industrial machine vision will improve supply chain management. Similarly for suppliers, one-third of those surveyed cite mobile barcode label/thermal printers, wearable computers and location technology as the technologies to do so. 

Rajnish Gupta, Vice President and Head – India and Sub-Continent Business, Zebra Technologies, said, “Manufacturers are innovating to meet changing customer demands, and they are increasing their investment in technologies to deliver more personalised and sustainable vehicles. Along with this, they also need to ramp up their end-to-end supply chain visibility to build the next level of trust with their customers. We are ready to help automotive manufacturers enhance their operational capabilities through digitalisation through varying solutions like the L10ax rugged tablet, RFD90 ultra-rugged UHF RFID sleds, MC9300 DPM mobile computer and Workforce Connect, just to name a few.”

Overall, around seven in ten automotive industry decision-makers (76 percent globally, 67 percent in APAC, including India) agree that digital transformation is a strategic priority for their organisation. In the next five years, they anticipate expanding their use of technology, with 47 percent (both globally and in APAC, including India) focused on additive manufacturing/3D printing and 45 percent globally (46 percent in APAC, including India) on supply chain planning solutions.

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Epsilon Advanced Materials (EAMPL) has developed a hard carbon anode material designed for sodium-ion batteries used in grid-scale Energy Storage Systems (ESS). Developed through internal research and development, the graphite-free material provides an alternative for cell manufacturers as sodium-ion chemistry gains adoption due to the abundance of sodium and its lower environmental footprint compared to lithium extraction.

The material utilises coconut shell waste as its primary carbon precursor. Through pyrolysis and high-temperature carbonisation, this agricultural byproduct is converted into a disordered carbon structure with the interlayer spacing and nanopore architecture required for sodium-ion storage.

This bio-based manufacturing process eliminates dependence on graphite and reduces carbon dioxide emissions by up to 50 percent compared to standard graphite anode production due to lower processing temperatures.

The microarchitecture of the hard carbon anode provides reversibility, cycle life, and charge-discharge capabilities required for grid applications undergoing repeated charge cycles.

The product launch follows commitments to sodium-ion cell production by global manufacturers, including CATL, alongside expanding research by cell manufacturers across Asia and India seeking components for energy storage systems.

Vikram Handa, Managing Director, Epsilon Group, said, “The clean energy transition needs materials that are affordable, available and easy to scale, faster. Sodium-Ion is the right chemistry for energy storage and Hard Carbon is the right anode for it. The feedstock is something India has in abundance, the process is cleaner than anything that came before it, and the performance is where it needs to be for real-world grid applications. We are building for what energy storage will look like ten years from now.”

The introduction of the hard carbon anode is part of Epsilon Group's expansion into battery materials, which also includes silicon-graphite anodes and Generation III Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) cathode active materials for lithium-ion applications. The expansion aims to establish manufacturing and export capabilities for battery components within India to support energy storage and electric vehicle sectors.

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French automotive supplier Valeo has been nominated by a major Indian automotive manufacturer to supply its Valeo Smart Safety 360 (VSS360) system for commercial vehicles.

The advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) is designed specifically for the Indian market and will be produced at Valeo's manufacturing facility in Sanand, Gujarat.

The VSS360 is a ‘one-box’ ADAS solution that integrates radar fusion directly into a smart front camera. This design allows vehicle manufacturers to remove individual Electronic Control Units (ECUs), reducing costs and simplifying integration into existing vehicle architectures.

A significant technical feature of the system is the Univolt Camera, which is compatible with both 12V and 24V electrical architectures, allowing it to be used in vehicles ranging from Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs) to heavy-duty trucks.

The system utilises three radars and one camera to provide a suite of safety and comfort functions, including:

• Moving Off Information System: Protects pedestrians and cyclists during vehicle pull-away.
• Blind Spot Information System: Monitors side zones for vulnerable road users.
• Standard ADAS Functions: Includes Forward Collision Warning, Automatic Emergency Braking, and Lane Departure Warning.
• Driver Monitoring: Software that detects driver drowsiness and fatigue to mitigate accident risks.

The system has been tailored to meet upcoming General Safety Regulations in India and handles unpredictable traffic conditions common on Indian roads. It also supports over-the-air (OTA) updates to maintain software performance throughout the vehicle's lifecycle.

Marc Vrecko, CEO, Valeo Brain Division, said, "This award demonstrates how our high-end ADAS technology can perform in the world’s most demanding environments while drastically improving road safety. India is a cornerstone of our 'Elevate 2028' strategy and Valeo is committed to providing high-tech, scalable, and cost-optimised safety solutions that meet the specific requirement of Indian roads."

Jayakumar G, Group President & Managing Director, Valeo India, added, "This award marks an important milestone in expanding our ADAS portfolio in the commercial vehicle segment in India. By localising these advanced solutions, we aim to deliver highly competitive products tailored to our customers’ needs. Regulatory momentum is a key driver accelerating ADAS adoption and supporting our journey towards safer and smarter mobility in India."

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Hyundai Motor Group has expanded its Center of Excellence (Hyundai CoE) in India by forming a consortium with 7 universities to conduct research into battery and electrification technologies.

This initiative adds IIT Kanpur, IIT Hyderabad, VNIT Nagpur and Tezpur University to the existing partnership established in 2025 with IIT Madras, IIT Delhi and IIT Bombay.

The Group is managing 39 joint projects through these institutions, focusing on battery cell safety, energy density and diagnostic systems. Research is specifically directed toward battery designs and materials intended for the Indian environment.

Technical work also includes the development of an AI-powered Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) platform and advancements in Battery Management Systems (BMS).

To facilitate technical exchange, the Group has introduced a Korea Visiting Programme for researchers and a series of global conferences and forums. These programmes are designed to connect government, industry, and academic leaders to discuss emerging electric vehicle (EV) technologies and share technical insights between India and Korea.

Chang Hwan Kim, Head of the Electrification Energy Solutions Tech Unit, Hyundai Motor Group, said, “By bringing together the distinguished professors and emerging researchers from these seven institutes, we can create powerful synergies that will yield immense value for both Hyundai and India's sustainable growth. I strongly believe that the Hyundai CoE will grow to become the premier expert network of the Indian academic community”.

The long-term objective of the project is to establish a research hub that provides solutions for the domestic automotive industry and supports the transition to electric mobility through local talent and institutional expertise.

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NXP Semiconductors has announced a collaboration with Quanta to launch a deterministic zonal networking solution designed for next-generation Software-Defined Vehicle (SDV) architectures.

The platform combines NXP’s S32 automotive processing platform with TrustMotion’s MotionWise middleware to provide predictable, real-time communication across vehicle networks.

The solution is engineered to solve a primary challenge for automotive manufacturers: ensuring precise timing across distributed compute and network components. By providing end-to-end determinism, the platform reduces the risk of errors during late-stage system integration.

The solution features an automated workflow for topology discovery and schedule generation designed to accelerate SDV program timelines. It combines NXP S32 processors, SJA1110 TSN-enabled switches and multi-PMIC power management into a single, validated system.

It provides low jitter and predictable latency across Electronic Control Units (ECUs) and in-vehicle networks, supporting Quality of Service (QoS). Thus making it scalable to support latency-sensitive applications including audio over Ethernet, high-performance compute (HPC) integration and real-time control.

Sebastien Clamagirand, SVP and GM, NXP Semiconductors, said, “Software defined vehicles require a fundamentally different approach to vehicle architecture – one that delivers deterministic timing across both compute and network at scale. We are helping OEMs overcome the limitations of legacy architectures, reduce integration risk and accelerate development of scalable zonal systems.”

Terrisa Chung, Vice-President and General Manager, Quanta, added, “Quanta’s Adaptive Zonal System is designed to deliver deterministic performance and system level scalability for next generation vehicle platforms. Working with NXP, we’re providing a ready to deploy foundation that helps our customers move faster while meeting strict timing, safety, and reliability requirements.”

The partnership aims to streamline the transition from domain-based designs to zonal E/E systems. NXP and Quanta have also confirmed they are working toward aligning this solution with the NXP CoreRide zonal reference system to support broader SDV integration in future vehicle programs.

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