New Delhi: India is one of the world’s fastest-growing automobile markets, with over 40 lakh passenger vehicles sold every year. Vehicles are becoming increasingly advanced with every passing year, thanks to the integration of global technologies and enhanced engineering practices. So do customers. Now, Indian customers’ buying trends are also inclining towards feature-rich and tech-loaded vehicles.
Speaking to Zee News’ Lakshya Rana, Manish Manek, Chief VLE and Head of Engineering at JSW MG Motor India, discussed the significant changes coming to cars in terms of technologies and engineering. He said that India is catching up fast with global trends. He listed the trends that are reshaping the industry.
He said ADAS (advanced driver assistance systems) is no longer a luxury. “This is becoming slowly and slowly a necessity,” he said. He also pointed to the rise of EVs and hybrids. And he highlighted software-defined vehicles, where software and services play a central role in how a car works.
ADAS: Technology Vs Roads
He noted that many cars in India already offer Level-2 ADAS. But he said moving from Level 2 to Level 3 is not just a vehicle problem. “Level 3 requires a significant amount of ecosystem or infrastructure readiness,” he said. He pointed out issues such as poor lane markings, mixed traffic, stray animals and crowded city centres. Those conditions make full autonomy harder to roll out safely.
“Even if the vehicle is getting upgraded, the entire ecosystem for the country also needs to upgrade,” Manek explained. He suggested India will see higher autonomy, but it will take time and careful planning.
EVs And Hybrids
Manek argued that electric cars will grow, but they will not entirely replace internal combustion engines. “No, I think no. It will probably never totally displace ICE,” he said, predicting a long coexistence of EVs, hybrids, and petrol/diesel cars. He called hybrids an important bridge technology for many buyers.
He listed three engineering challenges for EVs that still worry customers: range, charging infrastructure and charging time. “How do you have a battery that gives a reasonable range? How do you have an ecosystem with enough chargers? How do you shorten charging time? The industry is working on these problems through better battery chemistry, improved battery management systems, and faster vehicle-level charging solutions,” he said.
Responding to whether it is possible to reduce the EV charging time to 4-5 minutes in the future, Manek said, “Well, today it is not possible, but the future, yes, I think the future is promising.” He added that whether charging will fall to 5 or 15 minutes depends on breakthroughs in cells, cooling and the wider charging network.
Local Battery Production And Pollution
He said many parts of a battery are already being made by Indian suppliers and that “a lot of work is happening now in the country” to scale cell production. He also addressed pollution caused by EV batteries during manufacturing. Batteries may cut tailpipe emissions to zero, but manufacturing still uses energy.
“While electric vehicles (EVs) have zero tailpipe emissions, their lifecycle impact must also be addressed. By integrating green sources like wind and solar into the energy used to manufacture and produce EV components, we can significantly reduce the environmental impact of the entire production process.”
Software And Connectivity
Manek described vehicles becoming like smartphones on wheels. Infotainment, voice assistants and in-car apps are rising fast. He also pointed to V2X capabilities – vehicle to vehicle, vehicle to grid and vehicle to load – that will add value, especially in electric cars.
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