AUTO COMPONENTS INDIA February 2019 by Next Gen Publishing Pvt Ltd

www.autocomponentsindia.com Vol 5 Issue 12

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February 2019

COMPONENTS

INDIA

EPSON PLANS TO INTRODUCE COBOTS

VOICE OF THE AUTOMOTIVE SUPPLIERS

ELECTRONICS, SOFTWARE DRIVE NEW MOBILITY SOLUTIONS

z JAMNA AUTO GOES DIGITAL TO CARVE OUT BIGGER SHARE OF THE MARKET

z CES 2019 SETS THE WORLD ABUZZ WITH INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES

NEW OPPORTUNITIES TO MAKE INDIAN AUTO INDUSTRY MORE VIBRANT IN 2019

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CONTENTS

Volume 5 | Issue 12

FEBRUARY 2019

COVER STORY z Electronics, software drive new

mobility solutions

z NXP drives automotive megatrends

with smart, connected and secure systems z Next generation automotive door

zone system ICs boost power efficiency and allow further car electrification z

Delta is setting up plant in Tamil Nadu to make EV charging products

The smart, digital cockpit experience

Lucas TVS begins production of motors for e-rickshaws

WebNMS provides vehicle monitoring solutions

Continental supports new mobility with fuel efficient, safety system solutions

E-Trio ready to roll out retrofitted electric cars

z Croyance Automotive ready with

E-CV

Olectra-BYDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eBuzz K9 starts road trial in Delhi Maxxis Tyres partners with HMSI MRF tops in tractor tyre customer satisfaction Tata Motors CNG engine gets BS-VI certification

06 | NEWS Toyota launches new Camry hybrid

14| CORPORATE Jamna Auto goes digital to carve out bigger share of the market New opportunities to make Indian auto industry more vibrant in 2019 Yamaha launches FZ-Fi, FZS-Fi with ABS Ashok Leyland bags orders for 2580 buses from STUs Chennai-made new BMW X4 launched

51| ALLIED INDUSTRIES Epson plans to introduce cobots

AUTO COMPONENTS INDIA FEBRUARY 2019

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TN leads in automotive electronics sector

CES 2019 sets the world abuzz with innovative technologies

50 | OEM Mercedes-Benz car sales in India move up

54|INTERNATIONAL Dana enhances electromobility capabilities by acquiring SME Group Henkel, RLE International build strategic alliance Schaeffler expands startup network in the US ZF Aftermarket expands TRW Corner Module coverage OMRON launches industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first 2D, visual inspection machine Magna, Lyft partnership makes headway

E DITORIAL CHANGING PARADIGMS

A AUTO COMPONENTS INDIA Mafatlal Chambers B, Ground Floor, N. M. Joshi Marg, Lower Parel (E),Mumbai - 400 013 Tel +91 22 43525252, Email us at s.bhargav@nextgenpublishing.net Executive Editor Bhargav TS Editorial Advisory Board H. S. Billimoria, Aspi Bhathena Web Editor Ashish Bhatia Correspondent Sricharan R (Chennai) Gunjan D. Bidani (New Delhi) Head - Design & Production Ravi Parmar Asst Art Director Ajit Manjrekar Production Supervisor Dinesh Bhajnik Publisher Marzban Jasoomani General Manager – North & East Ellora Dasgupta General Manager – South Girish Shet Deputy General Manager – North & East Chanchal Arora (Delhi) Regional Marketing Manager Salma Jabbar (Chennai) Marketing Manager Minocher Parakh (Mumbai) Manager Circulation - North and East Kapil Kaushik (Delhi) Subscription Supervisor Sachin Kelkar Tel +91 22 43525220 Apple Newsstand & Magzter Queries: help@magzter.com Territory Sales Incharge (Circulation) Srinivas Gangula (Hyderabad) Cell +91 09000555756 Territory Sales Incharge (Circulation) Vidyasagar Gupta (Kolkata) Mob: 09804085683 REGIONAL MARKETING OFFICES Next Gen Publishing Pvt. Ltd. Mafatlal Chambers B, Ground Floor, N. M. Joshi Marg, Lower Parel (E), Mumbai - 400 013 Tel +91 22 43525252 26 B, First Floor, Okhla Industrial Estate, Okhla Phase III, New Delhi - 110020, India Tel +91 11 42346600/78, Fax +91 11 42346679 Unit No:509, 5th Floor, ‘B’ wing, Mittal Towers, MG Road, Bengaluru - 560001, India Tel +91 080 66110116/17, Fax +91 80 41472574

s the car continues its transition from a hardware-driven machine to an electronics and software device, the automotive industry’s competitive paradigms are changing. Software, large computing power, and advanced sensors are the emerging factors of competitive edge. They enable innovations and the progress to connectivity to autonomous driving to electrification and new mobility solutions. However, there is increasing complexity. The large number of software lines of code (SLOC) contained in modern cars vindicates this. The type of vehicles which had about 10 million SLOC in 2010 now has over 160 million lines. The compounding complexity also creates software-related vulnerabilities, as has been evidenced by millions of recent vehicle recalls. The average software and electronics content per vehicle is also on the rise. From the present 10%, with an annual growth rate of 11%, it is expected to be 30% by 2030 in a D-segment, or large car. Players across the digital automotive value chain are trying to capitalise on innovations enabled through software and electronics. The software companies and other digital-technology players are leaving their current Tier 2 and Tier 3 positions to engage automakers as Tier 1 suppliers. They are expanding their participation in the automotive technology ‘stack’ by moving beyond features and apps into operating systems. At the same time, traditional Tier 1 electronic system players are boldly entering the tech giants’ original feature-and-app turf, and premium automakers are moving into areas further down the stack such as operating systems, hardware abstractions, and signal processing in order to protect the essence of their technical distinction. Similar to hardware-related uncertainties, software-related disruptions also are under way. Many strategic moves are possible: automakers could create industry consortia to standardise vehicle architecture; digital giants could introduce onboard cloud platforms; mobility players could produce their own vehicles or develop open-source vehicle stacks and software functions; and automakers could introduce increasingly sophisticated connected and autonomous cars. The transition from hardware-centric products to a software-oriented, service-driven world is especially challenging for traditional automotive companies. Yet, given the explosive trends and changes, there is no choice for anyone in the industry but to prepare for the changing paradigms. Bhargav TS Executive Editor s.bhargav@nextgenpublishing.net

Cenetoph Elite, No.5, Cenetoph 1st street, Teynampet, Chennai - 600018, India Tel +91 044 421-08-421/044 421-75-421 Devendra Mehta - Mob No.- 09714913234 Ahmedabad 201 Gera Serenity, North Main road, Koregaon Park, Pune - 411001. Tel + 91 20 26830465

Views and opinions expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of Next Gen Publishing Pvt. Ltd. Next Gen Publishing Pvt. Ltd. does not take responsibility for returning unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or other material. All material published in Auto Components India is copyright and no part of the magazine may be reproduced in part or full without the express prior written permission of the publisher Printed by Marzban Jasoomani Next Gen Publishing Pvt. Ltd., Mafatlal Chambers B, Ground Floor, N. M. Joshi Marg, Lower Parel (E),Mumbai - 400 013. Published by Marzban Jasoomani on behalf of Next Gen Publishing Pvt. Ltd., Mafatlal Chambers B, Ground Floor, N. M. Joshi Marg, Lower Parel (E), Mumbai - 400 013. Printed at Spring Graphics, 215 & 238, Shah & Nahar Industrial Estate, Sun Mill Compund, Lower Parel (West), Mumbai 400013, India. Published at Next Gen Publishing Pvt. Ltd., Mafatlal Chambers B, Ground Floor, N. M. Joshi Marg, Lower Parel (E),Mumbai - 400 013

All readers are recommended to make their own independent enquiries before sending money, incurring expenses or entering into commitments in relation to any advertisement appearing in the publication. Auto Components India does not vouch for any claims made by advertisers for their products and services. The editor, publisher, printer and employees of the publication shall not be held liable for any consequence in the events of such claims not being honoured by the advertisers. All disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of competent courts and forums in Mumbai only.

Editor Bhargav TS

N EWS Toyota launches new Camry hybrid

oyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) has launched the next generation high performance “All New Camry Hybrid Electric Vehicle” in India. Inspired by The Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA), this luxurious, powerful and self-charging electric vehicle is built to provide a comfortable and stable ride with superior handling, unmatched engineering, green solutions, superior technology, design and performance. The new sedan also reflects Toyota’s philosophy of harmonising a bold and distinctive new look that seamlessly melds a sleek and modern shape giving the Camry Hybrid Electric Vehicle a bold and sophisticated look. While retaining the ethos and magnificence associated with the Camry legacy, the new Camry Hybrid Electric Vehicle,

or self-charging electric vehicle, has retained the current generation USP like rear seat comfort, significantly enhanced performance, design, luxury and ride comfort. The newly developed Gasoline Hybrid Dynamic Force Engine developed through TNGA delivers exemplary power, fuel efficiency, environmental performance backed by fourth generation hybrid system providing enhanced fuel efficiency and acceleration. This advanced technology has also contributed to an impressive mileage of 23.27 kmpl. The new exteriors have also given the sedan a unique and stylish look. The All New Camry Hybrid Electric Vehicle’s cabin is spacious, elegant and artistic, featuring upscale materials and artistic build

quality. The new car’s cabin is accentuated with a range of advanced features which includes best-in-class cockpit with Human Machine Interface (HMI). The All New Camry Hybrid Electric Vehicle is equipped with 9 SRS Airbags, Anti-Lock Braking System with Electronic Brake-force Distribution and Brake Assist, Vehicle Stability Control and Traction Control (with Off Switch), ISOFIX and Top Tether Anchor for Child Seats among many other world-class features. ACI

Yamaha launches FZ-Fi, FZS-Fi with ABS

ndia Yamaha Motor (IYM) Pvt Ltd. has launched another addition to the 149 cc segment by unveiling in Bengaluru its all new FZ-FI and FZS-FI with ABS. The 3rd generation FZ, now coupled with stylish and sporty features will flaunt a design proportion that resembles a classic ambush pose of an urban fighter. The new FZ-FI and FZS-FI with ABS mounts an air-cooled, 4-stroke, 149 cc, SOHC, 2-valve, singlecylinder, fuel-injected “BLUE CORE” engine that aggressively certifies the FZ breed by passing down a look based on machismo, big-boned feeling and emphasizes it during straight line acceleration. Motofumi Shitara, Chairman, Yamaha Motor India Group of companies, said, “The excitement of The Call of the Blue continues with the launch of the new FZ-FI and FZS-FI with ABS in India as a part of

the deluxe class in India.” The new FZ-FI and FZS-FI will feature newly designed sub frame, BOSCH single channel ABS in the front wheel along with higher handle bar position, LCD instrument cluster, separate housings for LED headlight beams, rear disc brakes, FZ 25 mudguards, newly designed plastic resin tank cover, sliding engine kill switch, main switch in the front of the tank and two level seat with comfortable grab bars. its offering of extraordinary motorcycling experiences from Yamaha. Following the outstanding response from YZF-R15 Version 3.0 launched in the last year, the company is confident to further create a niche in the 150 CC class segment with the new FZ-FI and FZS-FI. The new launch from Yamaha will strengthen the company’s presence in

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The most prominent feature of the new FZ-FI and FZS-FI with ABS is the new styling proportions that group the front end, fuel tank and engine together to resemble a classic ambush pose of an urban fighter. The new FZS-FI will additionally feature a lower engine fairing, partly chrome finished air intake and exclusive colour schemes. ACI

N EWS Ashok Leyland bags orders for 2580 buses from STUs

shok Leyland, flagship of the Hinduja Group, and India’s largest Bus manufacturer, has confirmed that it bagged orders from IRT (Institute of Road Transport, Chennai), UPSRTC (Uttar Pradesh State Roadways Transport Corporation) and CTU (Chandigarh Transport Undertaking) for 2580 buses. These orders are among the largest from STUs for a single OEM. All these buses can be delivered before March 2019.

Vinod K Dasari, Managing Director, Ashok Leyland, said, “We are very happy to receive the confirmation of these orders from State Transport Undertakings. Our ability to bring value, combined with our superior technology and innovation, will help us maintain our leadership position in buses in India.” Sanjay Saraswat, Senior Vice President, Global Buses, Ashok Leyland, said. “Our buses are durable, robust and employ

the latest in technology. The cost of ownership and the product experience which we can deliver is the best in the industry. Our in-depth understanding of what works for our markets and customers is what differentiates us and has helped us win these orders.” Ashok Leyland is the 4th largest manufacturer of buses in the world and the largest in India. These orders would further consolidate its leadership position. ACI

Chennai-made new BMW X4 launched

he all-new BMW X4 which features distinctive design, unmistakable coupé character and outstanding driving dynamics was launched in India recently. Locally produced at the BMW Group Plant Chennai, it will be available in diesel and petrol variants at all BMW dealerships in the country.

interior and leading-edge technologies.” The all-new BMW X4 is available in an exclusive M Sport X design that combines the best of both worlds – an elite sports coupé radiating an off-road-focused sportiness. The striking Sports Activity Coupé confidently rules the road and is destined to stand

Dr Hans-Christian Baertels, President (act.), BMW Group India, said, “BMW established the Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) category and the latest addition to the sporting elegance of a coupé, will be proven an instant hit in this class and will become a trend-setter. The all-new BMW X4 underscores its individual character with superior driving dynamics, standout exterior design accentuating the car’s sporting instincts, a refined premium ambience in the

The new BMW X4 is available in Alpine White non-metallic paintwork and in the following metallic paintworks: Flamenco Red Brilliant Effect, Phytonic Blue and Carbon Black. It features fine upholstery Leather ‘Vernasca’ as standard with the following combinations - Canberra Beige with decor stitching; Black with decor stitching; Black with contrast stitching Red; and Black and Cognac with decor stitching. The all-new BMW X4 comes with innovative technologies such as the BMW Display Key that allows drivers to keep in contact with their car round the clock. Hands do the talking with BMW Gesture Control, which is part of a rigorously thought-out operating concept that recognises 6 pre-defined hand movements for control of a number of functions. ACI

AUTO COMPONENTS INDIA FEBRUARY 2019

out everywhere it goes.The new BMW X4 is available in two diesel variants – the BMW X4 xDrive20d M Sport X and the BMW X4 xDrive30d M Sport X, and in one petrol variant – the BMW X4 xDrive30i M Sport X, all of which are locally produced. The ex-showroom prices range from Rs 60,60,000 to Rs 65,90,000.

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NEWS Olectra-BYD’s eBuzz K9 starts road trial in Delhi

he Delhi Government has initiated trials of the zero-emission and noise-free Olectra-BYD’s 12-meter electric bus – eBuzz K9 with 35+1 seating capacity. Flagged off by the Transport Minister of Delhi, Kailash Gahlot, from Delhi Secretariat, the state-of-the-art ‘Make in India’ eBuzz K9 will run on route number 534 between Anand Vihar ISBT and Mehrauli Terminal. The trials, to be conducted for 3 months, will enable the authorities to evaluate the efficiency and competency of the buses in the standard road conditions of Delhi. Under an endeavor to promote usage of zeroemission electric vehicles, the Delhi government aims

to induct them in the public transport system. N Naga Satyam, Executive Director, Olectra Greentech Limited, said, “As part of our commitment to contribute to the efforts of ensuring a healthy environment to the public, this Delhi trial is yet another step towards conversion of fossil-fuelled vehicles to a zero-emission transport option. Olectra BYD buses are proven successful in all the terrains across the country. Olectra-BYD is the only player in India which has its electric buses commercially running in 4 States and we aim to continue our leadership in the eBus segment.”

eBuzz K9 model is driven by a lithium-ion Iron phosphate battery providing an ability of running up to 300km on a single recharge. OlectraBYD buses are designed and manufactured under a strategic tie-up between Olectra Greentech Ltd and BYD Auto Industry Co. Ltd –

world’s largest electric vehicle company. Olectra-BYD buses have completed more than 500,000 Km on Indian roads and have reduced CO2 emissions up to 524 tonne so far which would have required 2,619 trees instead. ACI

Maxxis Tyres partners with HMSI

axxis India, a sub-company of Maxxis Group, one of the world’s youngest and fastest growing tyre companies, has announced yet another significant milestone by collaborating with Honda Motorcycle and Scooters India Limited in a ‘unique retail partnership’. Under this association, co-branded Maxxis tyres will now be available for sale at HMSI and Maxxis dealerships. Bing-Lin Wu, Marketing & Retail Sales Head, Maxxis India, said, “We are excited about this unique association with our long-standing partner Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India. This partnership demonstrates our strength and the ability to offer high quality products for the country’s leading two-wheeler brand and will allow us to reach out to several customers through HMSI’s robust

strength and safety to the vehicles. To equip the dealers with knowledge pertaining to the products and services, Maxxis conducted training sessions in 20 cities across India, covering 650 Honda dealers.

network across the country. Our aim is to create a strong brand preference for Maxxis in India and showcase the range of innovative and technologically superior products to the customers.” In the first phase of this association, co-branded M6000 tyres (90/100-10) will be available at select HMSI and Maxxis dealerships across India. The plan is to increase this further in the next phases. M6000 is an OE fitment to Honda Activa, this tyre is designed to provide extra

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Maxxis has set high standards in providing benchmarked product quality and customer service globally and in India. The company follows a strong customer-first approach and is committed to offering the highest quality product which is a combination of superior raw material and world-class technology. With utmost confidence in the quality of the products, Maxxis has curated the best schemes and transparent claim resolution processes, including the industry-best 5+1 unconditional warranty with Maxxis twowheeler tyres. ACI

NEWS

MRF tops in tractor tyre customer satisfaction

RF has emerged as No.1 in customer satisfaction in the inaugural J.D. Power 2018 India Tractor Tyre Satisfaction Index (TTSI) Study.

value proposition which MRF’s products offer to the customer.

MRF performs strongly across all four Tyre Performance-related factors measured in the study, viz. Tyre Durability, Traction/ Handling, Ride Quality and Appearance. The highest lead over the industry is in Tyre Durability, which is also the factor rated highest in importance in measuring overall satisfaction. This recognition highlights MRF’s

The study also finds that satisfaction with tyres is higher when customers personally choose the original brand of tyres installed on their new tractors, compared to when customers are not involved in choosing the brand.

position in the Indian Market as the most preferred farm tyre brand among the tractor owners, and as the ‘ Kisan ka Dost’. And it is a testimony to the

Recognising this, MRF offers the widest range and choice of tyres to OEMs from its farm portfolio which caters to the entire spectrum of tractor models being made in India. MRF also sells tyres in the aftermarket through its dealers. ACI

Tata Motors CNG engine gets BS-VI certiﬁcation

ata Motors has received BS-VI Type Approval certificate for its 3.8L NA SGI CNG engine from ARAI (Automotive Research Association of India). It is the first OEM in India to get BS-VI certification for a naturally aspirated CNG engine for commercial vehicles. This certification includes meeting the tailpipe mass emissions as well as compliance with On-Board Diagnostics (OBD) norms as mandated by government regulation. Rajendra Petkar, Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Tata Motors, said, “This BS-VI engine certification milestone has been crossed with intense design and development focus, by leveraging in-house capabilities and those of our

technology partners. We have worked hard to build a leadership position in the market by providing our customers with economical, best-in-class natural gas vehicle products in the commercial vehicle market and this development of BS-VI solution will further reinforce our market offering.” The 3.8 NA SGI CNG engine is a naturally aspirated engine does not need a turbocharger. It produces a maximum power of 85 Ps @ 2500 RPM with a torque of 285 Nm @ 2500 RPM. The combustion occurs at stoichiometric conditions in this engine. This engine comes with sequential gas injection technology, pioneered by Tata Motors

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in India. Exhaust after-treatment system featuring three-way catalytic converter reduces pollutants below limits mandated by regulation. The 3.8 NA SGI CNG engine will power 4T to 9T GVW buses and trucks such as 407, 709 and 909 (existing BS-IV versions), which are already very popular models in the market, with the best-in-class fuel efficiency. A state of the art Emission Test Facility has been installed at the Power Systems Engineering Division (PSE), in ERC, Pune. This facility serves as one of the crucial milestones for BS-VI implementation, the company said. ACI

11th Edition

R & D

T r e n d s

Theme: Automotive Mega Trends - R & D Challenges 8 March 2019 | Hotel Hilton | Chennai

The Tamil Nadu Technology Development & Promotion Center of CII is th organizing the 11 Edition - Conference on Automotive R&D Trends th on 8 March 2019 at Hotel Hilton, Chennai with the theme of “Automotive Mega Trends – R&D Challenges". The conference aims to help stakeholders understand the current scenario of automotive R&D, challenges ahead and share their expectations. The research ecosystem in India presents a significant opportunity for multinational corporations across the world due to its intellectual capital available in the country. Legions of Indian engineers working across the globe highlight the highly trained manpower available at competitive costs. Consequently, several MNCs have shifted or are shifting their research and development (R&D) based on Indian Industry. The key objectives of the conference are to: Serve as a platform for stakeholders from the automotive and allied industrial sectors to share their expert views on strengthening the base for automotive R&D; Develop a systematic approach to address the key gaps in the R&D domain; Understand the domestic and global R&D phase to plan for future developments ; Highlight priority areas for developing robust systems and solutions through research and innovation; Catalyze the automotive growth through innovation and evolving technology; Aid the Government Agencies in development of effective R&D policy; Aid Indian industries in interactions with international networks for best practices, knowledge transfer, collaborative R&D, product development etc; Facilitate knowledge flow by working with international organizations through bi-lateral / multilateral cooperation mechanism; Create awareness among the end-users and consumers.

Session 3: Future Trends – Auto components, OEM’s & Aftermarket Sustainability Focus Area: Newer Technologies | Capacity Constraints | Vehicular Safety Standards & Regulations | AMP 2026 | BS V&VI | Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) | Emerging Technology – OEM’s Approach |Limitations for MSME’s | OEM’s - Quality Session 4: Intelligent Supply Chain & Logistics Focus Area: Aftersales and services part | Packaging | Digital factory | Blockchain | Connected Logistics | Inventory management | Sales & operations planning Prominent global speakers from leading OEMs, prominent Auto component Industries, Transport Organizations, Infrastructure Companies, Service Providers, System Integrators, State and Central Government officials, Corporate Consultants etc have been invited to participate and share their knowledge at this conference. More than 250 senior management personnel from diverse industries all over India and abroad are expected to attend this conference. Profile of conference delegates include MD's, CxO's, President, VP, GM's, Head of R&D, Senior & Middle Management R&D officials, Business Development, Communication Specialists, Professors etc. The conference would starts at morning 0930 Hrs (Registration starts at 0800 Hrs) and conclude at evening 1800 Hrs.

Please confirm your participation / nominations through online registration https://www.automotive-rnd.tntdpc.com https://fs24.formsite.com/CIISR/93835g4cm7/index.html

Magazine Partner :

C ORPORATE Jamna Auto goes digital to carve out bigger share of the market Story by: Sukhpreet Singh

everaging Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), Jamna Auto Industries has developed two apps, JAI MLP and JAI Aftermarket, in an effort to carve out a bigger pie of the market. The company, specialising in the manufacture of leaf springs and allied components for commercial vehicles, has developed the JAI MLP app. for mechanics. It calls upon a mechanic to register himself with the company’s sales officer who in turn provides him with a welcome kit. The kit includes a cash card similar to a debit card. The products purchased by the mechanic using the app. would come with a sticker, which

has a unique code. This code is scanned by the sales officer to provide the mechanic with reward points. These points are converted into currency and added to the cash card. The company provides an incentive of 1.75% of the retail price for a Jamna auto product. When the mechanic accumulates a certain number of points, he is eligible to participate in a lucky draw called ‘Jai Ho’. The draw is held regularly in different cities of India in a bid to encourage many more mechanics to come onboard. The app. is also expected to encourage them to prefer quality spares to the spurious ones. The JAI Aftermarket app. is to facilitate the working of the company’s sales officers. It is designed and developed to help them plan their visits, schedule

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their rosters and do more. The app. is designed in such a way that it enables the sales officers to scan the codes of products that a mechanic has ordered, and to convert them into reward points. With the help of the app., a sales officer can also look at any pending visits. He can also check the history for accounting purpose. In order to reach out to its employees, distributors, mechanics and customers, Jamna Auto Industries is continuing to find ways of doing business. Well regarded by its clients in the aftermarket as well in the original equipment space, the company has 21 manufacturing units. Claimed to be the second largest manufacturer of leaf springs and related components, the company caters to Ashok Leyland, Toyota

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.com ponentsindia www.autocom 2019 February

Vol 5 Issue 12

COMPONENTS

EPSON PLANS TO INTRODUCE COBOTS

INDIA RS

E SUPPLIE E AUTOMOTIV

WARE T F O S , S C I ELECTRON OBILITY M DRIVE NEW SOLUTIONS

VOICE OF TH

GOES DIGITAL z JAMNA AUTO GGER SHARE BI TO CARVE OUT T OF THE MARKE

TS THE WORLD z CES 2019 SE NOVATIVE IN H IT ABUZZ W TECHNOLOGIES DUSTRY MORE

DIAN AUTO IN IES TO MAKE IN

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NEW OPPORTUN

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Digital Platform

C ORPORATE Kirloskar Motors, Volvo, and Mahindra & Mahindra among many others. Said to command a market share of 72% for multi-leaf springs and parabolic springs, Jamna Auto, according to Bhupesh Kumar Mehta, Vice President, Jamna Auto Industries, is keen to support cleaner modes of transport. Of the opinion that the evolution of auto industry is set for a paradigm shift with the advent of fuel cell vehicles, electric vehicles and alternate fuel vehicles, Mehta said that it would have a profound influence on the company. Confident of growing with the auto industry, the company is looking at providing quality spares. It is thus drawing a strategy to de-risk itself from the cyclic nature of the CV industry. Keen to carve out a greater pie of the aftermarket, Jamna Auto is looking at expanding its retail and distributor network. Striving to reduce the risk of recession, the company is chalking out plans to introduce new products. It is also working out a comprehensive export strategy that would result in higher exports. “We want to increase exports. This will help us reduce our dependency on OEMs. Not that we will not supply to our existing OEMs, what we are looking at is to achieve a sustainable growth,” Mehta said. Keen to promote the safety aspect of the products it offers, Jamna Auto is creating awareness. Awareness of driving safely, clocking maximum uptime and higher profitability with the use of the high quality parts the company offers. Of the opinion that the products that they offer play a key role in vehicle safety, Mehta mentioned that the use of high quality materials and craftsmanship ensures that there will be no breakdowns of CVs,

which could result in an accident. He quickly pointed out that the suspension system parts that they offer contribute towards the load carrying capability of CVs. Multiple leaves of a leaf spring, said Mehta, adds to the safety of the vehicle. Perhaps with an eye on the forthcoming safety norms, he explained that the CV industry is driving them to engineer more safety into the products they offer. Taking pride in the fact that Tata Motors and Ashok Leyland are satisfied with its products, Jamna Auto is providing parts in the aftermarket that are no second in quality to the parts that it supplies to the OEMs. Having put in place a definitive structure of channel partners, distributors, retailers and mechanics, the company is keen that genuine products reach the buyers in the replacement market. Well aware of the threat the unorganised aftermarket poses, Jamna Auto, according to Mehta, is driving the incentive programme just to encourage a shift from cheap non-reliable products to genuine spares even if they are a bit costlier. The ability of genuine products to far outperform cheap and non-reliable spares from the unorganised market is much higher, he said. Going that extra mile, the company has been regularly organising plant visits for its distributors and mechanics so that they understand why parts from Jamna Auto Industries make a case for quality and performance. With particular concern about the high rate of accidents in India, and the loss that accompanies, Jamna Auto is working on an aggressive aftermarket thrust by going digital with the 2 apps. it has developed.

z Safety first Jamna Auto Industries is especially keen to drive the safety angle

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Bhupesh Kumar Mehta, Vice President, Jamna Auto Industries

attached to the suspension products that it offers. Well aware that it may not have much scope as far as the OEM supplies are concerned, it is addressing the angle of safety in the aftermarket. Confident that this will create awareness among fleets, drivers and mechanics, and drive them to use genuine parts even if they cost more, the company is aggressively promoting the fact that the breakage of a leaf spring will lead to loss of control, and the cost of which could be very high in terms of lives lost as well as the damage to property. Not very happy at the prospect of leaf springs not considered as a safety-intensive component of a CV, Mehta said, “It is time that the contribution of leaf springs and leaf spring suspension to safety is acknowledged and promoted.” Keeping a strict tab on quality and performance parameter of each and every product that the company manufactures, Jamna Auto has been paying close attention to the developments in the other markets of the world. It is a result of this that the company has tied-up with Ridewell Industries, USA, and Tinsley Bridge, UK. The alliance is expected to enable the company to further elevate its expertise in the manufacture of leaf springs as a key component of a CV, Mehta said. ACI

ACI Awards 2019

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C ORPORATE New opportunities to make Indian auto industry more vibrant in 2019 Story by: Bhushan Mhapralkar & Bhargav TS

ndia is poised to soar, higher than many fast-growing large economies over the next decade. At the same time, automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and component manufacturers in the country aspire to achieve global eminence. The future of the auto OEM and auto component industry is being shaped by multiple trends, policies and discontinuities. What opportunities do these trends create for the auto component industry? And how can the industry prepare itself to capture a share of these opportunities?

z On a strong footing

sales by 2026, from 26 million to 65 million to 76 million vehicles, across segments. These could be definitive tailwinds for the Indian automotive components industry, which has ambitions of its own—to double the contribution to manufacturing GDP with a 4-fold growth in size and a 6-fold growth in exports by 2026. While industry turnover has more than tripled (in Rupee terms) in the past decade, India’s contribution to global turnover is approximately 3%. Clearly, there is substantial scope for growth in an industry being shaped by a variety of trends.

The Indian automotive OEM industry is already in a strong position. Globally, it is at the forefront of many segments—leading in two-wheelers, segment-A cars, and tractors. The industry aspires to triple vehicle

Exports are expected to grow by 9-11% in fiscal 2019 mainly on account of improving global economic conditions. In major export destinations, such as USA, auto sales,

According to the Auto Components Manufactures Association (ACMA) and McKinsey & Company report, the growth indicators paint a picture of optimism for India. It might emerge as the world’s fifth-largest economy by 2019 and become worth USD 4.7 trillion in 2023. Anticipation of a growing consumer class, enhanced ease of doing business, expanding infrastructure and such favourable factors could propel the country forward, and with it, the automobile industry too.

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CORPORATE mainly class 8 trucks, have grown by 70% in CY2017 and are expected to record strong growth in 2019. Europe also has shown signs of revival. Auto component exports to other emerging economies such as South East Asia and Latin America have also shown substantial growth and will continue to drive demand in fiscal 2019. Crude oil price is expected to move north which signals improvement in the West Asian economy. Imports are estimated to grow at a higher pace of 9-11% despite anti dumping duties and localisation efforts by the players as domestic demand is expected to drive growth. Higher imports of components pertaining to safety (due to various mandatory requirements), body parts, etc. continue to contribute to the import growth. In the long- term, availability of new technology due to collaboration of the domestic players with foreign players and localisation efforts by the OEMs will keep imports in check. We expect the auto component demand to remain healthy in FY20 on account of strong growth across asset classes. As the BS-VI emission norms are expected to come into effect in FY20, this would result in a price increase across all automotive segments and pre-buying of cheaper BS-IV vehicles in 2019 is likely to drive volumes up. A strong domestic demand and a pick-up in exports is expected to aid overall auto components growth this year.

z Commercial vehicles The 2018 calendar year came to a close with a slight drop in overall CV sales. It was M&HCVs, which saw a significant drop in sales when compared to the other CV segments. Linked with the implementation of new axle norms, the drop in sales is said to be a result of the extra capacity added almost overnight, and

in a market environment where the demand is not very strong. Following strong CV sales in FY2016-17 and FY2017-18, the drop in CV sales at the fag end of the 2018 calendar year also reflected on the rise in input costs, according to an industry expert. The rise in input costs could not be passed on by the fleet operators to their customers, he said. If this would affect the growth of the CV industry in 2019, the rise in fuel prices, which rank at the top of the input costs of a fleet operator, and account for the biggest operational expenditure, proved to be a big dampener. Vinod Sahay, CEO, Mahindra Truck & Bus, said that their calculation showed that fuel costs have come to account for over 55% of the operating costs post the diesel price hike. Earlier they accounted for 50%. Terming 2019 to be a challenging year, Sahay drew attention to the benefit of the new axle norms going to the consignor rather than the fleet operator because of the demand and supply situation. With most CV majors having passed on the rise in input costs to CV buyers in the form of a price hike, the quest for efficient CVs is going to increase

in 2019, an industry expert said. This would be against a backdrop of rising stress on the transporters. With toll costs starting to eat into the operational costs, fleet operators in 2019 are expected to replace their aging trucks with newer, fuel efficient and reliable CVs. If this would include a move to higher tonnage, the possibility of overloading cannot be ruled out. With the talk of yet another important regulation on safety coming in, an industry source opined that it would serve to fully implement the Bus Code and Truck Code in 2019. He claimed that the 2 codes with a substantial safety imperative are being followed by OEs in flesh and spirit rather than the unorganised truck and bus bodybuilders. In response to a query on the upcoming safety regulation, Sahay said that an OE player has to meet the norms when he makes a CV truck cabin or a bus body. The same norms may not apply if a cabin on a cowl chassis is made outside. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Chances are that the application of AIS155 norms that are coming into force from April will be limited to OE players,â&#x20AC;? he added. According to V G Ramakrishnan, Managing Director. Aventuem Advisors LLP, there is a need to 19 19

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CORPORATE

Indian auto component manufacturers exports wide range of powertrain components across the globe

ensure that safety regulations are effectively implemented.

z BS-VI emission norms With BS-IV emission regulation having the shortest lifespan of 3 years, the race to meet the BS-VI emission regulations by April 2020 wills intensity in 2019. It will be the trend of the year, Ramakrishnan said. Kaushik Madhavan, Vice President, Mobility (South Asia), Frost & Sullivan, said that urbanisation, infrastructure development, connected mobility, and alternative fuel as well as hybrid technology would be the key trends for 2019. Echoing Ramakrishnan’s sentiments, he said that an amount of pre-buying was expected in 2019. Of the opinion that pre-buying in 2019 would trigger high volume growth, Ramakrishnan averred, “CV makers will start introducing BS-VI CVs from as early as October and November 2019.” “Since a BS-IV truck cannot be sold even if it were produced earlier (before the BS-VI deadline), no CV major will be ready to take the risk of building stock with an impression that it will sell before that deadline.

Since the size of the opportunity will be difficult to gauge, the only window available would be between August 2019 and December 2019,” Sahay said. In the January-March 2020 quarter, manufacturers are expected to produce CVs to order. Challenges in 2019 will be manifold for certain. Vendors are likely to stop producing some of the components that are moving to BS-VI by as early as August 2019. CV majors are expected to stop producing some of the low selling variants by around the same time. Regular production of lead models would most likely stop in December 2019. According to Ramakrishnan, heavy discounts on vehicles that are slow moving will be a key event in 2019. Many models will be phased out in March 2020, he said.

This would be influenced by a subdued global economic atmosphere, according to Ramakrishnan. A trend identified in 2018, and expected to continue in 2019 would be of bigger fleets taking advantage of GST for their ability to pay tax through forward charge mechanism. This would ensure them better profit margins, and reduce their need to contract smaller fleets. In view of the same the markets are consolidating on higher tonnage. The trend has been evident for the last 5 years. As the movement towards consolidation of buying and shifting of loads increase as CV costs go up, the pressure on business expansion by smaller fleets would also go up, Ramakrishnan said.

z Changes in GST

Shift in sales trend

If some of the phased out models could be earmarked for exports, the year 2019 is slated to be a challenging year for certain. Judicial interventions, reinforcing the need to adhere to BS-VI regulations, are expected in 2019, he said. The CV

If the smaller fleets are expected to find new ways of staying relevant amid rising challenges in 2019, the year is also expected to be a period of stricter implementation of overloading norms. Gaining from the sanction of large government

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industry could gain from the ongoing warehousing consolidation and mechanisation. With trucks expected to work like aircraft, and spend less time at the loading and unloading bays in view of the asset quality and costs going up, the CV industry in 2019 is also set to gain from some changes in the GST structure that are likely. Not a year of downcycle, according to Sahay, the CV industry should do reasonably well in 2019. A reason for some worry, however, is on the account of the macroeconomic parameters that are not as good as they were a few months ago. If the same trend continues in 2019, its effect on growth cannot be ruled out. With the market outlook not as positive as it was a couple of months ago, the CV industry in 2019 could profit from some dip in operational costs on account of fuel prices staying low.

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CORPORATE infrastructure projects, tipper sales in 2019 are expected to exceed that of the haulage segment. With the third and fourth quarter of 2019 expected to witness high sales volumes, according to Ramakrishnan, 2019 will also be a year of national elections. An amount of uncertainty will be there. With the risk of fiscal expansion at the cost of increased fiscal deficit, 2019 is likely to be a year of much pre-buying as well. CV makers are expected to reveal the price of the BS-VI CVs as they firm up on the technology strategies they will pursue. They are currently said to be experimenting with EGR, EGR and SCR combinations, and even EGR and EGR combinations to meet Euro-VI norms. With the new axle norms adding almost one full year of sale in the industry in one day, and diesel prices not backed by an equivalent rise in freight rates, 2019 calendar year is expected to see a decent uptake in the first 3 months. The period between July 2019 and December 2019 will be good for the CV industry, according to Sahay. He said that TCO will be a critical challenge for fleets.

enter the fray in 2019. They could play the role of a franchise for CV majors, or look at investing in an independent network.

Year of fewer launches Expected to be a year of fewer launches, 2019 will see CV manufacturers work on new models that they would introduce post the implementation of BS-VI. These would stress on a higher payload in the rigid as well as the tractor-trailer segments, even though the number suggests that the tonnage shift has slowed post the axle norms. In the rigid segments, manufacturers and their vendors are expected to spend an amount of their time and resources to re-engineer some of their existing as well as new models at the lighter and heavier end. This would be borne out of the packaging challenges posed by the need to move to BS-VI, and at the higher end, to accommodate the changes effected by the new axle norms. With the 37-tonne shifting to 41.5-tonnes with the new axle

norms, CV majors are expected to look at the next level of 47.5 or 49-tonnes. With the 49-tonnes tractor-trailer combination going to 55-tonnes effectively with the new axle norms, a shift is expected in that segment too. It is subject to the road conditions and the length of the vehicles, if not for the availability of load. Indian automotive manufacturers have been very successful across segments in the local market as the population becomes more and more upwardly mobile. Globally, India’s automotive industry is at the forefront of many segments. India is renowned as a global hub for frugal and scalable engineering. Busy automotive clusters across India drive the industry— especially the 3 major clusters of Mumbai–Pune– Nasik–Aurangabad in the West, Chennai–Bangalore–Hosur in the South, and Delhi–Gurgaon– Faridabad in the North, as well as the upcoming areas like Sri City, Anantapur and Sanand. ACI

Madhavan said that the shift towards higher tonnage will continue in 2019 with an eye on profitable operating economy. In a year of shift towards fully-built CVs, and of fresh investments by OEs to further arm as well as expand their network, an expansion of spares and service network is expected to rank high in line with rising dependence of operators on CV makers in 2019. If the CV makers will invest in training mechanics to cater to the service needs of BS-IV CVs in 2019, they are also expected to chalk out similar strategies for the period after BS-VI norms come into force. To take advantage of the spares and service market growth for CVs, new players are expected to 21 21 WWW.AUTOCOMPONENTSINDIA.COM

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C OVER STORY Electronics, software drive new mobility solutions ACI Bureau

he automotive electronics industry since a few years has been undergoing a massive transformation by producing impressive new technologies that answer the market needs in term of comfort, safety and power management. Autonomous driving and electrification are driving this revolution. Inertial and chemical sensor hubs, as well as imaging and magnetic sensor hubs, are all part of the automotive electronics landscape. Fueled by strong growth in electric vehicles and autonomous cars, and a dramatic increase in electronics content in conventional automobiles and trucks, automotive electronics are crucial components of engine, ignition, and transmission management; entertainment, navigation, diagnostic tools and safety systems. Recently, the dashboard has received a major upgrade. Mechanical gauges are going digital – the classic speedometer, odometer and warning signals are moving to TFT (thin-film transistor) displays – where the 2D and 3D graphics require fast processing and memory to provide real-time feedback. While TFTs create an undeniable “cool” factor, they also enable safer and smarter driving. Smart TFT displays analyze and filter vehicle, environment and safety information to ensure only the most relevant data is displayed at any given moment. Electronics mainly helps to improve safety technology, which will power

computerised systems that help drivers out when things get dangerous or inconvenient. At the same time electronic systems help in improving fuel efficiency. With the constant flux of gas prices and consumer focus on sustainability, there is always room to improve efficiency and save fuel. More advanced drivetrain / power management systems mean better fuel efficiency, and moving forward, this won’t necessarily be at the expense of power. In the interior side, to have an interactive and adaptive cabin experience, think popup displays that link together climate controls, driver information, communications and entertainment – and are accessed through touch screens that adapt to driver preferences and the environment. To make these features a reality and elevate in-car technology to the next level, the automotive industry needs to focus on integrating specialized hardware and software technologies. That optimal combination will provide even greater speed and reliability that will ultimately be necessary to power the car of the future. In the coming years, there is huge potential for telematics and UI advances to be driven largely by hardware innovation and few companies are currently working on integrating flash technology with logic to improve the experience. The automotive electronics space is in the beginning stages of exploring the possibilities, and the road ahead is looking pretty cool.

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As the role of electronics and software are gaining important roles in the new vehicles, Auto Components India is highlighting some of the recent and futuristic changes being brought about by the key players in the industry. According to Prashant Doreswamy, Head of Continental India, “In Luxury cars today, there are 100s of Electronic Control Units (ECUs) to operate the vehicle. Every part requires expertise in the domain of electronics. These vehicles are more of one single computer running.” Continental develops and produces efficient system solutions for vehicle powertrains to optimize fuel consumption. The product range from Continental includes gasoline and diesel injection systems, engine management and transmission control, including sensors and actuators, exhaust-gas after treatment technologies, fuel supply systems, and components and systems for hybrid and electric drives. NXP India is offering secure connectivity solutions for embedded applications for automated vehicles. Not going by the traditional wires, NXP supports the light-weighting of vehicles by using gateway manufacturing and electrification. WebNMS, the IoT division of Zoho Corporation, provides enterprise IoT platform and solutions that maximise the potential of connected business infrastructure. The company offers many ready to deploy solutions that are built over its IoT platform. ACI

C OVER STORY NXP drives automotive megatrends with smart, connected and secure systems Story by: Gunjan D. Bidani

oming from the times of the Ambassador car running mechanically on a side-valve engine, we are headed to the future of contextually-aware cars with the best-in-class LED experience, Bluetooth connectivity with touch and feel of luxury. The automotive industry is undergoing an entire generation sweep and the future promises everything connected, secure and smart. In conversation with Sanjay Gupta, Vice President and India Country Manager, NXP India, we at Auto Components India decode the megatrends of technologies and methodologies which will make our cars secure from both hardware and software standpoint. Headquartered in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, NXP provides secure connectivity solutions for embedded applications for automated vehicles. Not going by the traditional wires, NXP supports the lightweighting of vehicles by using gateway manufacturing and electrification. About NXP’s expertise in developing products which withstand the rigorous temperatures, Gupta said, “This is the key strength of NXP. While a typical consumer chip is designed at 100*C, we design our automotive chips at both high and low temperatures of 165 degree C and -65 degree C. So whether you are driving in the Sahara desert or Antartica, the engine applications won’t stop.”

While designing, real-life simulations are created for the chip at the computing stage until it works well even in the most extreme conditions. Gupta said, “We simulate the chip to resist mud, humidity, moisture and other scenarios at the designing stage itself. We freeze the design only if it doesn’t break after trying the performance in all kinds of utmost situations. Then it goes for manufacturing and testing.” On minimalising power consumption, Gupta said, “We employ 2 techniques: at the architecture level and at the fabricating level. We isolate the power consumption (power domain isolation) by defining the power lines separately,

for example, if we know that powertrain is using left part of the chip, we ensure that the right part goes unused. Then during the fabrication stage, we have neatly running wires on the chip which accommodate a lot of storage memory on the chip which in return contributes to saving power.” Forty-five percent of NXP’s revenue is coming from the automotive division while the rest 55 % is through consumer electronics and networking.

z Vision processor Made in India, S32V series is NXP’s 2nd generation vision processor, designed to support computationintensive applications for image processing suited for ADAS, NCAP front camera, object detection

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COVER STORY

Sanjay Gupta, Vice President and India Country Manager, NXP India

and recognition, surround view, machine learning and sensor fusion applications. Engineered in collaboration with Continental for automotive-grade reliability, functional safety and security measures to support vehicle and industrial automation, S32V is currently on the testing grounds and the production is expected to begin soon. Establishing confidence in the reliability of automotive electronics is an issue across the industry. Lack of well-defined standards, inefficient data handling, and weak supply chain often makes it difficult to achieve

a zero-failure electronics system. “Typically a system can have two kinds of failures. First, the intrinsic failures or functional safety issues which happen because of inefficient designing, construction and validation. These are the internal hazards which can be predicted and diagnosed. Second and the real problem is when the hazard is external i.e. cyber security issues which are unpredictable and random,” Gupta said. “The first problem is solvable considering ISO 26262 which is the global functional safety standard. The second solution is a reliable device. It’s a well-known fact that in semiconductor physics, ageing happens. So to curb this, we have to work for the performance of the chip even after 10 years. This makes the automotive division the most complex as this is a zero-defect industry. For cyber security, we have a very robust mechanism in place called ‘5-layered security architecture’ which is a secured network where different applications are taken

care of differently in separate and secured gateways. Capping this all, we provide secured interphase which is our infotainment channel. In case of malware or unauthorised restrictive entry, suitable restrictive measures are taken immediately,” he said.

z Safe functioning For the autonomous vehicles, safety-related functionality that can sense and react to hazardous situations is needed. It’s an engineering process as critical as engineering the product itself. One of the biggest challenges is to cope with the need to anticipate a million possible interactions between the vehicle and its environment. On this Gupta said, “Think of all the hazardous contingencies that an autonomous vehicle has to contend with particularly in an urban environment. This needs to anticipate a wide range of possible interactions between the vehicle and its environment. One of the biggest challenges in developing safety for autonomous vehicles is conceiving a safetyrelated system and placing the system into an appropriate safe state.” Recently, NXP Semiconductors N.V. has been ranked fourth on the IoT ONE 500 Industrial IoT Index and is named one of the world’s most impactful Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) companies.

z Networking In India, an automotive networking revolution is under way, driven by the need for higher data capacity and speed to meet the requirements of increasingly autonomous and connected vehicles. Considering the shift in market momentum, Gupta commented, “By virtue of the nature of electric and driverless cars, which is the trend these days, 24 24 AUTO COMPONENTS INDIA FEBRUARY 2019

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COVER STORY market demands connectivity. Not just this, we need a strong network of charging stations. Even the government is pushing for this.” Costing is another limitation to cope with, as “India is a unique case where everything is needed at zero costs. Profitability is low but higher volumes are at play. Despite this, India is going to get a lot of traction,” he said. On the operations of the business in India, Gupta said, “We face operational challenges more than technological challenges. Our supply chain was choked with unprecedented demand last year. We need more agile supply chains, where our chips can be produced and then qualified in a very small reaction time so that they are validated sooner.”

z Wide market Since India is a hub for very strong and diversified market for 2- wheelers, NXP caters primarily to players like Hero, Bajaj and TVS. In the fourwheeler segment, NXP maintains good relationships with Maruti, Mahindra and Tata. Globally, NXP is catering to Continental and Bosch. Makes of BMW and Daimler are equipped with NXP’s ADAS, gateway and data fusion applications. Built on more than 60 years of combined experience and expertise, NXP has 31,000 employees in more than 33 countries and posted revenue of $9.5 billion in 2016. In India, the company employs around 2000 engineers and is located in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune and Noida.

The India center also actively contributes to the development of several complex multi-core Digital Networking processors for high speed routers, wireless infrastructure and networking applications. NXP India Development Center, grew from a hardware IP and design integration group in the beginning, to an R&D center with almost 2000 employees, owning almost all aspects of semiconductor design from architecture to final delivery. The centre also have specialized skills on silicon testing and validation which are very niche and experienced from India market perspective. “As we are heading towards BSVI emission norms compliance,

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COVER STORY engines would have to be tweaked comprehensively to meet the emission criteria. It is about how cleaner and greener our engines become. The industry is still thinking as early movers might suffer a loss in revenue because we are in no man’s land. The market is not ready, the customer is not paying high enough. All in all, the ecosystem is not ready. Despite this, I’m quite optimistic” Gupta said.

z New tie-up, acquisition In mid-2018, NXP and Tata Consultancy Services inked a pact to identify and create unique solutions that will be co-created for the Automotive, Security and IOT industry. On the agreement between the 2 giants, Gupta averred, “This MoU is a great opportunity for both NXP Semiconductors and TCS to collaborate and solve complex problems in high-technology areas. It would also enable us to synergise our technical prowess and venture into several new and disruptive business domains that will support our customers more meaningfully.” The collaboration will also help drive the advancement of the key solution areas that will yield results across the industry and geographic markets.” To enrich its portfolio, NXP acquired OmniPHY, a provider of automotive Ethernet subsystem technology later last year. To

deliver the next-generation of data transfer solutions to carmakers, NXP plans to facilitate the demands of the next-generation vehicles. Call for eight or more cameras, high definition radar, lidar and V2X capability, all of which generate steep data challenges for current car networks. These requirements, combined with the modern vehicle’s need to offload data to enable the new business opportunities of the connected car, will soon make terabyte levels of data processing commonplace. In an era where machine intelligence is turning away humans, the challenges and limitations amidst lack of standardization are grave. “Call it a challenge or an opportunity, but these superintelligent machines are equipped with both computing and cognitive powers. When these contextually-aware machines come into play, these machines can pose a possible threat to humans as there are no right policies in play. There is no standard for cyber security and multiplication of these self-aware machines will happen super fast. If executed well, the same can be used to create a big boost for the healthcare and all the things good in the society,” Gupta said. NXP started its operations in India in 1990 with a mission of turning India into a centre of excellence

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in SoC Integration & IP design and has scaled new heights over the years. The company has become a vital part of the global network of design teams, which form the core of its business operations and is the second largest design center outside of Netherland and USA During the last decade, these R&D centers in India have become self-sufficient to be able to develop complete semiconductor products with the support of hi-tech labs and varied functional expertise of IC design, like architecture design, IP development, SoC Design, Verification, Functional and Analog validation, and Test. The company’s ICs are manufactured in foundries across the world including, US, Europe, Singapore, China and Taiwan, while the final silicon validation is carried out on both digital as well as analogue domains in Noida and Bangalore. Added to the IC design capabilities, NXP R&D centers in India have proven strength in embedded and other software that enables the hardware design. The design center in Hyderabad focuses primarily on software developments in the Digital Networking including latest technologies such as 5G, network function virtualisation etc. With every passing year, the India Development Center is adding new product design capabilities and is steadily contributing to the success of NXP. ACI

C OVER STORY Next generation automotive door zone system ICs boost power efficiency and allow further car electrification By : Manuel GĂ¤rtner, Senior Team Leader and Marketing Manager for ASSP/ASIC and Power Discrete Devices, Fritz Burkhardt, Senior Technical Marketing Engineer, EMEA Marketing & Application Team Automotive, Giovanni Torrisi, Marketing manager for Automotive body products, STMicroelectronics

n the past few years, electrification has represented one of the major trends in the Automotive sector. Car Electrification is much more than having pure electric vehicles, it is about electricity being increasingly adopted to replace mechanical components/relays by electronics or in some cases allowing introduction of new features. Massive Car Electrification is pushing the trend towards more Autonomous Driving where, in a medium/long term vision, many of the vehicles may be considered as â&#x20AC;&#x153;robo-cabsâ&#x20AC;?. For this new car concepts everything inside the door will be automated based on new driving concepts like smart automatic door opening with anti-collision detection; such a system will detect e.g. pedestrians or cyclists approaching the car and automatically control the door opening to avoid dangerous movement. Also other external obstacles will be detected by future sensors, those will be part of electronics inside the door to make it protected against damages. Dedicated semiconductor devices are required to facilitate those megatrends: they need to support advanced power management concepts, drive different loads in an electric power range of some

mW like LEDs up to powerful DC Motors which can easily reach an instantaneous power dissipation up to 200W. Additionally there will be a high degree of standardised interconnectivity, like CAN and LIN physical layer, among electronic modules in the car. Carmakers are challenged to determine the correct architecture to deliver those new functionalities at reasonable costs never compromising quality and performances. As costs and complexity continue to increase for both hardware and software development, it is becoming more difficult to keep pace with the performance and

functionality demanded by OEMs. Besides, they request deployment of cost-effective solutions that are scalable from low-end cars to very high-end vehicles, with development costs amortised over different platforms and car models. A known automotive application that historically has benefited from a scalable approach, is the Door Zone Electronics (fig.1); for this application it is intended a single IC able to drive most of the Door loads (door lock motors, mirror folder and leveling, defroster, window lift and several lighting functions from LEDs to incandescent bulbs). Typically the actuator

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COVER STORY Fritz Burkhardt, Senior Technical Marketing Engineer, EMEA Marketing & Application Team Automotive, STMicroelectronics

as well as communication layer (mainly through LIN and/ or HS CAN). Typically a Power Management device embeds two low-drop voltage regulators to supply the system microcontroller and external peripheral loads such as sensors and they are useful to provide enhanced system standby functionality with programmable local and remote wake-up capability.

drivers for automotive door zone applications are characterised by a scalable actuator driving concept, compatible with package and software, to satisfy the multiplicity of door electronics variants. Over a period of more than 10 years several of such door actuator driver devices were developed in an evolutional process by adding new features and optimizing packages and semiconductor technologies and IPs to comply with the continuously growing number of electrical loads. In combination with the Door Zone devices (fig.2), another IC is adopted as power management system that provides electronic control units with enhanced system power supply functionality, including various standby modes,

Giovanni Torrisi, Marketing Manager for Automotive body products, STMicroelectronics

For both of this device families, door actuator drivers as well as power management devices, a dedicated and optimised semiconductor BCD technology (Bipolar, CMOS and DMOS) has been used. The technology nodes have been at 0.7μm for the actuator drivers and at 0.57μm for the power management devices. With the new Automotive trends, an even larger variety of electrical loads have to be controlled in an efficient and safe manner, minimizing the quiescent current and providing at the same time space and weight reduction with highly integrated solutions that reduce component count and, in the end, dramatically simplify designs. ST’s advanced, proprietary BCD8S automotive technology node of 0.16μm provides the key to achieving unique, highly integrated, single-chip solutions (fig.3) that meets power-management, failsafe requirements and door loads actuations. This technology comes with an optimised capability for power and calculation functionality. The much more challenging thermal requirements integrating power management as well as actuator driver on a single chip are satisfied by the higher junction temperature of up to 175°C, which is specified as a

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standard value for the devices to support the stringent requirements specified by the OEMs. Novel STMicroelectronics’ controller chips for car doors – the L99DZ100G / GP for front door applications and the L99DZ120 for the rear doors – help designers to save space while improving reliability and energy efficiency. Compared to the previous families of door zone ASSPs (Application Specific Standard Products) 2 devices with an outline of 12mm by 12mm (TQFP64) for the door actuator driver and 10mm x 10mm (PowerSSO-36) for the power management devices are replaced by as single device (LQFP64) with the same footprint of the TQFP64 (figure 4). This is very important to support the requested miniaturisation of the PCB, to fit to the more stringent space requirements. Beside the shrink of the die size enabled by the new BCD silicon technology this was enabled by new and innovative construction of the package, specifically to handle high current peak and huge power density achieved with miniaturisation of the Door System IC. With the additional advantage of software compatibility between the different members of the family, the building blocks also contribute to a simpler development and to shorten the market introduction time. The advanced proprietary automotive technology BCD8S from ST is playing a key role in the realisation of this single-chip solution. With a variety of features, including built-in half-bridge and high-side drivers for currents up to 7.5A, the solution meets new requirements for door zone applications. They also offer highspeed CAN (HS-CAN) and LIN 2.2a interfaces (SAE J 2602), control

COVER STORY blocks and protective circuits. The L99DZ100GP offers additional support for selective wake-up according to ISO 11898-6 HS-CAN, thus ensuring maximum energy savings as rarely used ECUs can be put to sleep mode while they are connected to the CAN bus. Both controller versions for front doors contain integrated MOSFET half-bridges, which can drive up to five DC motors and an external H-bridge. In addition, there are eight LED drivers and two incandescent lamp drivers, a gate driver for a mirror heater and a control module for electrochromic glass. Voltage regulators for external circuits such as a microcontroller and sensors as well as the associated timers, watchdogs, reset generators and protective functions are also included in the equipment range. The L99DZ120, designed for the rear doors, also offers similar functions, such as motor drivers for electric window lifters. Adding more electronics and features to vehicles is a differentiating factor for selling a car, but it also increases the power requirements. As a result, every system’s power consumption, during any and all operating conditions, goes under accurate analysis. This is especially true in pure Electrical car, where wasted power means less mileage range; vehicles with the highest amount of electrical content inevitably have the highest amount of leakage current and, as a result, products and/or techniques that reduce quiescent current and standby currents become very important to all carmakers. They often say that “every micro-amp counts” since most ECUs have a 100-μA max standby budget for current consumption.

For that reason, an advanced Power Management with relevant low quiescent modes (standby/ sleep, cyclic monitoring, dedicated LDO with low current mode, timers, contact supply) is embedded in the new Door Zone controllers. With the VBAT standby mode, the lowest quiescent current may drop even below 10μA, in in the range of 7-8 μA, compared to the double for the topology with two ICs (Door Zone plus Power Management ICs). In the application, the microcontroller (MCU) isn’t supplied until the regulator is awakened through contact monitoring or through the physical layer (LIN, HS-CAN or HS-CAN supporting selective wake-up). Novel STMicroelectronics Door Zone controllers do not only represent a combination, in one package, of previous Door Zone actuators plus Power Management ICs. New features have been added to better serve the new automotive trends. A new IP is implemented in the devices to support an automatic LED duty-cycle compensation, which ensures uniform brightness even when the supply voltage of the ECU fluctuates. This is realized by measuring the supply voltage and correcting the duty cycle applied to the LED driver power stage by a device internal compensation algorithm. To adapt to different loads this feature is programmable to allow the use of different LEDs as well as the serial use of LEDs. This allows to save work load from the external microprocessor and minimise SPI traffic which was up to now the state of the art. Another new feature is the innovative thermal clusters concept that also allows the application to disable individual outputs when an event such as a

Manuel Gärtner, Senior Team Leader and Marketing Manager for ASSP/ ASIC and Power Discrete Devices, STMicroelectronics

short circuit occurs; unaffected outputs remain functional in this case. To comply with requirements for safe operation of the power window, to avoid uncontrolled movement of the window in case of any system error, a dedicated IP has been developed to enter as safe condition According to the safety requirements this IP is isolated from the rest of the chip by a deep trench isolation, another valuable feature provided by BCD8s, and even works at loss of battery by a self-biasing approach. The new devices of the L99DZ100 family are designed to support the actual known state of the art door electronic applications, but in the future new requirements will rise up like driving additional powerful DC motors. The development of the devices is modular and so the IPs can be adopted in an incrementally scalable approach to put together in a new configuration. This will also open up new solutions out of the door to drive loads in an optimised way. For example power trunk modules or sun roof application have similar system requirements and dedicated ASSPs will enter this segment as well in the future. ACI 29 29

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AUTO COMPONENTS INDIA FEBRUARY 2019

C OVER STORY Delta is setting up plant in Tamil Nadu to make EV charging products Story by: Sricharan R

elta India, a leading power and energy management company, is setting up a new facility in Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu, to manufacture wide range of EV charging solutions. The first phase of the new plant is expected to be operational by Q4 of 2020. “As of now, we are operating from our Rudrapur factory for the EV chargers and more than 100 chargers are made every month there. This is sufficient for us now. The new plant in Krishnagiri will help us move forward,” Akshaye Barbuddhe, Business Head, EV Charging Solutions, Delta India, said. Delta, in India since 2003, is a 100% subsidiary of Delta

Electronics (Thailand) PCL. The company operates in three business categories: Power Electronics, Automation and Infrastructure. It has three manufacturing facilities (Rudrapur in Uttarakhand, Gurugram and Hosur in Tamil Nadu), two R&D centres (Gurugram and Bengaluru), 12 regional offices, and more than 200 channel partners across India. With the support of its R&D and technical teams, Delta will manufacture and supply EV charging products that are specific to the Indian market. “We have planned to increase the number of engineers in R&D to 2000 by 2025. This will be done in the Bangalore facility,” Barbuddhe said, Delta has established an E-Mobility Tech-Lab at its Gurugram premises to create

indigenous technology capability. It has also set up a platform where the compatibility of the charger with various e-vehicle models can be tested and the product quality and compliance can be achieved. The E-Mobility Tech-Lab comprises AC & DC EV chargers, electric vehicles, OCA certified Testing Tools, Charging Process Simulators, Load Simulators and Charge Point Operator software platform. Witnessing a widespread adoption of its Electric Vehicle Charging Solutions in the country, the company is also encouraged by the government’s focus on driving energy efficiency in the automotive sector. Delta has associated with several prominent customers in this space like Maharashtra Mantralaya, Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), NTPC, PowerGrid Corporation Delhi, SDMC Office, Gujarat Bhavan, Delhi, and the Union Ministry of Health. “The first few years of our journey in India

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COVER STORY was just theoretical. The practical work was started during the second half of last year. The EV has picked up good traction with many private investments, and a large push form the government. Last year, we created a small and medium-scale ecosystem. With this some States can take e-mobility as a complete solution. Our business development effort has been very niche, and we take an extra mile to create an ecosystem that builds a customised business model,” he said. Delta has partnered with the electric vehicle startup, EV Motors, to install public charging stations: ‘PlugNGo’. EV Motors plans to introduce 6500 charging outlets over the next 5 years. Earlier this year, Delta launched Mumbai’s first DC Fast-Charger station at Maharashtra Mantralaya with a capacity of 15 kW. It has been developed on the Bharat EV specifications standard. AS an OEM, the company has a good infrastructure and a pan India service presence. “Whatever we have done in Maharashtra was a part of the EESL initiative. We have a partial contract with them. We are working in multiple ecosystems and helping them with all technological products to set up own charging stations. Recently, we and our partner had a launch where they have set up a charging station at DLF Cyber City in Gurugram. Many of such ecosystems are backed by our technology and products. Besides these, we are working with OEMs in two-wheelers, three-wheelers, cars and busses. Even though the journey is slow we are working on it,” Barbuddhe said. Delta has set up mostly DC fast

chargers and a few AC chargers. He said that it was a baseless assumption that fast charging would affect the battery. The normal lead acid battery cannot cope with the fast charging and then the li-ion battery came in. As technologies develop there will be different solutions. Barbuddhe said their experience in working with the OEMs across the globe would help them bring out very good products. “This experience will bring satisfaction to the customers. On the technology aspect, we are adapting global technology in the local way. We have the scope to optimise cost and have a local approach to it as the customers are different in Europe and India. We have everything right from technology, manufacture to service assembly and much more. When we come out with a product, our global team would have started that 5-7 years earlier. So, we are futureready and ready for technology adoption. We are part of the global stuff and we develop the product for the Indian market. Our best part is having the global experience.”

Akshaye Barbuddhe, Business Head, EV Charging Solutions, Delta India

can be connected to any energy source. The company is also strengthening its manufacturing capabilities to offer EV DC Chargers up to 150kW and 350kW shortly. They will adhere to all local and international standards like CCS, CHAdeMO & GB/T. “EV is just in the initial phase. The market is shaping up with core generation. It will slowly take the urban areas first and then move to other areas,” Barbuddhe said. ACI

Delta has a clear idea about battery swapping and considers it as a optimum way of pushing the e-mobility for a certain segment of two-and three-wheelers. The company is looking at this option and has the solution ready but has not converted it as a product yet. It may not be offered in the open market as the company is planning to partner with OEMs to bring this out. “We are working with few OEMs and we are also in touch with some infra OEMs, who intern work with the vehicle manufacturers,” he said. Delta products are also ready to adopt green energy solutions and

Delta’s charging solution kit 31 31

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AUTO COMPONENTS INDIA FEBRUARY 2019

C OVER STORY The smart, digital cockpit experience By: Binoy Paul, Engineering Director, Visteon Corporation

he drivers and the passengers today look forward to personalized in-car experience and seamless access to information from personal devices, the vehicle and the cloud. As the level of automation increases, the cockpit will transform to become a smart, learning, mobile assistant; a system that is always connected, automatically learns in the background and provides contextual information as and when required; improving safety at the same time. Advanced technologies from Visteon will power this smart digital cockpit and some of the highlights of this cockpit electronics architecture will include: A high-powered cockpit domain controller that integrates the instrument cluster, infotainment and other cockpit functions into a single ECU with advanced graphics, over-the-air software updates, and state-ofthe-art cyber security; large high-

resolution displays to deliver an enhanced viewing experience; a scalable autonomous domain controller for Level 2 and higher automated driving that is integrated with the cockpit domain controller for seamless interaction with the driver; and a machine learning-based voice recognition and text-to-speech solution for a natural language, conversational smart assistant.

z SmartCore As the industry shifts toward digital clusters and infotainment systems as standard equipment, the SmartCore-based integrated cockpit domain controller is a very effective solution for car manufacturers. Visteon was the first to deliver a cockpit domain controller on a production vehicle – the Mercedes-Benz A Class – last year. Visteon is the clear market leader in this segment. We have secured several SmartCore programmes that will be

launched between now and 2020. We see continued positive response for SmartCore as the industry transitions to electric and autonomous vehicles.

z Large Displays Displays will play a critical role in the evolution of autonomous vehicles. Larger, smarter displays will sweep the cockpit area to create an immersive experience for all occupants. Visteon’s design and manufacturing capabilities are transforming the shape of vehicle displays with surfaces arching across the entire dashboard, incorporating photo-realistic colour rendering and contrast, freeform shapes, flowing curves and slim profiles. The new generation of displays also offer a deeper, more engaging user experience with integrated features such as haptics, force sensing, proximity sensing and knob-over-glass. We want to create an intuitive information experience that understands intent by detecting ubiquitous interactions, and responds in a visceral way. At CES 2019, Visteon showcased a range of new 3D and driver monitoring clusters as well as large, curved and flexible displays that will be the primary interface between humans and the vehicle in future digital cockpits.

z DriveCore DriveCore is a centralised, scalable and modular platform for autonomous driving. Current systems for autonomous driving 32 32 AUTO COMPONENTS INDIA FEBRUARY 2019

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COVER STORY are based on distributed electronic control units (ECUs) which have specifically defined functionality or closed centralized systems which do not scale - and do not offer an open platform for collaborative automaker and partner development. This demand for open architectures in autonomous vehicle development is driven by the need for increased collaboration between multiple developers to meet automakers need to differentiate. The DriveCore autonomous driving platform is the first open and scalable centralised computing approach featuring sensor fusion, object detection and tracking, situation analysis and trajectory planning enabled by AI. It is designed to enable automakers and partners to easily contribute content for fast development. As an autonomous and safetyrelated technology solution, DriveCore allows automakers to quickly build Level 3 solutions that can be scaled up the Level 4 and 5 when required.

z Voice-based assistants With advances in smart devices and in-car infotainment, conversing with the In-car voice assistants will soon become a norm. In-car assistants would be expected to understand the voice commands in every context and also separate the background noise from the driver’s voice. These can be an add-on or an adjunct to Alexa or Google Smart Assistant in the car. Visteon is developing a voicebased smart assistant, targeted to in-car use cases, which is run completely on-board the vehicle. The Visteon “say ‘n serve” smart assistant solution is designed to

Binoy Paul, Engineering Director, Visteon Corporation

use natural language processing for onboard or off board commands in cars without always needing cloud connectivity. At the CES, Visteon showcased a smart-voice assistant tailored to an in-car experience. The always – on, conversational, personal and private system applies AI and machine learning technology for a natural understanding of vehicle-specific terms, such as voice control of music, navigation, HVAC, vehicle warnings, etc. We aim to bring these technologies into the cockpit at affordable cost points. And we expect more benefits and improvements such as understanding a wide array of dialects, accents, idioms and intonations.

performance tuning and sound level improvement by noise cancellation.

Over 1000 engineers across the four technology centers in Chennai, Pune, Bangalore and Goa play a key role in product development and innovation for the regional and global vehicle manufacturers.

In addition to supporting the customer requirements in India, the engineering teams also support the global programmes from pursuit to certification and supports software development for autonomous driving such as: artificial intelligence, driver awareness systems, voice control, machine learning, computer vision and cyber security.

Visteon is working with the Indian vehicle manufacturers on hybrid and all-digital clusters and infotainment systems, as well as SmartCore- based domain controller solutions.

I look forward to Visteon continuing to be the premier center of advancements in cockpit electronics as the industry focus shifts towards electric and autonomous. ACI

z Role of Visteon India

We collaborate with the OEMs to leapfrog the current technologies and adopt next-gen solutions at a faster rate and provide the best possible seamless digital experience to the end customer. Some of the recent technical advancements implemented by Visteon in the cockpit include: WiFi, embedded apps, haptics, mirroring solutions- CarPlay and Android Auto etc. We have also invested in the infrastructure for: tuner tuning, GPS, WiFi and BT 33 33 WWW.AUTOCOMPONENTSINDIA.COM

AUTO COMPONENTS INDIA FEBRUARY 2019

C OVER STORY Lucas TVS begins production of motors for e-rickshaws Story by: Sricharan R

he Chennai-based Lucas TVS, a leading auto components manufacturing company, has started production of electric motors for e-rickshaws in its plant in Puducherry. The company’s investment will be in 2 phases to have a maximum capacity of 120,000 motors. In the first phase it will make 60,000 units with an investment of Rs 6 crore in machinery and equipment. The company plans to supply to 50 customers in 6 months, “We are ready now and have supplied in smaller quantities to 10-12 customers and we have set a higher target to reach in the coming months,” Babu KSV, Business Head of e-mobility, Exports, Cooling Solutions, Lucas TVS Limited, said. Lucas TVS was established in 1962 as a joint venture between Lucas Plc UK and the TVS Group. Lucas had started operations in India from 1930 as Lucas Indian Service for

providing warranty and after-sales service to many of the imported vehicles which carried Lucas parts. Having started with distributing starters and dynamos, over the years the firm commenced providing complete system solutions in auto electricals, specialised motors for air compressors, stop-start systems, engine cooling modules, ignition products, diesel fuel injection systems etc. Lucas TVS develops and integrates its products in vehicles and equipment from the design stage and carries out application engineering, development, manufacturing and service. The company started its electric motor business 2 years ago.”People are looking at ease of commuting and there are few areas where the total cost of ownership can be managed, like electric vehicles. As far as EVs are concerned, there is awareness about pollution and there is a legislative compulsion. The three-and two-wheelers will go electric first, as there is no need

for government subsidies. In the last couple of years, the number of electric two-wheelers has increased and they are in the lower capacities like 250 W or 500 W. With this, the customer misses the comfort factor and the pleasure to drive,” Babu told Auto Components India. For the last mile connectivity e-rickshaws with Chinese motors have worked well in parts of western India and NCR region. This has proliferated well because of the low price point and low running cost. One can charge these with a domestic charging point. “With these in mind and based on our analysts, we identified these two areas as having immediate growth potential. We decided to enter the market as a competition for the Chinese products. After analysing the market potential, we benchmarked the best in class and the cheapest in class that are coming from China and we decided to develop our own product. The three parameters we have in mind are the Indian market demand, reliability and affordability,” he said. Lucas TVS has developed the traction motors which will be of 1 kWh, 3 kWh and 5 kWh and will be able to power, e- rickshaws and e-autos. The firm already holds a couple of orders for the e-rickshaws. The e-auto is almost ready and it will be taken for customer- end validation soon. About the prime aspects of the new traction motors and their difference from the Chinese motors, Babu said, “During the developmental stage, we did a lot of benchmarks and concentrated upon two main aspects. One is to get the maximum

Electric motor manufactured by Lucas TVS is fitted in an e-rickshaw 34 34 AUTO COMPONENTS INDIA FEBRUARY 2019

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COVER STORY efficiency and the other is to prepare a product for the Indian monsoon situation. With these in mind, the product has been tested to drive in dust and water and it is IP67certified. Another major aspect was the safety of the rotors which has magnets. We came across a problem of magnet flying off and spoiling the motor. We have come out with a new set-up where the magnets are rigidly protected inside a cage. With a different working principle, we call this the Interior Permanent Magnet design (IPM). We also have the brake energy recuperation technology as the motor and controller is together. When you brake on a flat or downhill road, the motor acts as a generator and charges the battery. This can give around 15-20% of energy saving depending on the road condition and braking strategy. “

z E-auto motors Lucas TVS is concentrating on the e-rickshaws for now and it will come up with e-auto motors later. The company has plans to be in the electric small CV and LCV segments in the near future. As far as HCV is concerned, Babu said, they might venture into the area, but only with a partner. They are looking to work along with India Nippon Electricals limited which has strong electronic component manufacturing capability to bring in new products. “We are waiting to have some clarity from SIAM or the auto sector as to what they want. Are the OEMs willing to outsource controller and motor, or they want the motor to our design or their design? Globally, a few tier-I suppliers have come out with trans e-axle which has the complete set up of the motor, controller, differential etc. For the OEMs, it is just plug and play. Is this that the market needs? It is not clear and we are waiting to see what happens,” he said. Babu said there were many enquiries from countries in the SAARC region.

Battery pack and controller for e-rickshaws

The company may take them in a small manner in the first quarter and look for concrete actions from the second or third quarter.

can increase the motor efficiency by 10%, you can reduce the battery size by 10%. That is how it works.”

z R&D

z Light weighting Lucas TVS is focusing on light weighting. This is done by making changes in the product design as has been done for the wiper motor, whose weight was reduced by 40%. This helps reduce the passenger car weight. Similarly, in traction motors, the company is focusing on keeping the metal content. It is also looking at other possible ways to reduce the weight without compromising on the performance.

Around 2 years of hard work has gone to bring in the traction motor product. The research and development department here holds an advanced engineering department with around 80-90 people. The team takes care of several products. For the EV domain, there are around 10-12 people who are exclusively working for it. There are also some common resources, like simulation which are done by specialists. ACI

Sharing his views on the size of the battery, Babu said, “If you can optimise the design of the motor and the controller they can be designed in such a way that maximum efficiency is achieved at the operating zone. If you drive at 30-40 km and generate the best efficiency at this level, it will help lower the energy consumption. The battery size depends on two things. One, how much power it needs and two, how long it runs. Most of the two-wheelers and three-wheelers are looking for 80-100 km as a range. If the motor is efficient to that extent, one can reduce the size. For example, if you

Babu KSV, Business Head of e-mobility, Exports, Cooling Solutions, Lucas TVS Limited 35 35

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AUTO COMPONENTS INDIA FEBRUARY 2019

C OVER STORY WebNMS provides vehicle monitoring solutions Story by: Sricharan R

etting connected and the Internet of Things (IoT) seem to be the current trends in the automotive sector, as many futuristic aspects come in right from the manufacturing stage of a vehicle. One such thing is the fleet management solution that the software firms offer. It is an administrative approach that allows companies to organise and coordinate their fleet operations. This is done to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and to ensure compliance with the government regulations. WebNMS, the IoT division of Zoho Corporation, is a leading provider of enterprise IoT platform and solutions that maximise the potential of connected business infrastructure. The firm offers many ready to deploy solutions that are built over its IoT platform. It revolves around three major capabilities: Energy management, Remote asset management, and

Logistics & Fleet management. The software company’s fleet management solution can be used for vehicle tracking, driver behaviour monitoring, asset management, and OBD data monitoring, etc. “During the course of the last 5-6 years, we have focused on IoT. Our platform is applicationenabled. It helps customers create vertical IoT solutions. Our fleet management solution is a comprehensive product, that does track and trade based on GPS. It also does geo-location, geo-sensing, route planning, scheduling, driver management, onboard diagnostics, driver behaviour analytics and much more,” Karen Ravindranath, Programme Head of WebNMS IoT, told Auto Components India. The solution WebNMS provides seems to have an edge over its competitors. “There are a couple

of things where we differ from our competitors. Many are just into the GPS-based track and trade. We go a little further and give it as a comprehensive suite, where you can have driver behaviour management, workload scheduling, analytics on optimising the routes etc. The solution we provide can also be in the plug and play model and it can be part of a wider IoT solution as well,” she said. The software combines a lot of IoT aspects and gets information on the areas that need to be refurbished or serviced, and plans and optimises the routes based on that. “Another major aspect is that it combines with the whole Zoho ecosystem. For example, we have customers who are into on-field service and these companies have the responsibility of managing the delivery vehicle. With this, it makes a combination of knowing your customer and customer relationship being fulfilled through the IoT fleet management solution. We are catering to both of these: One, the whole concept of fleet tracking, scheduling and optimising the work being driven by data, and two, using the tracking and fulfillment data adding more value to the customer relationship aspects,” Karen said. She also said the products are India-specific and are being used in the Indian market. The software company also has partnered

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COVER STORY with a couple of hardware vendors in India. This is because a product cannot be delivered just as software alone and it will be difficult for the customers to buy software and hardware separately. In order to support them, the firm brings it as a whole and gives the customer an option for hardware choice. This makes the platform flexible in terms of adding or acquiring new devices faster. Along with partners, WebNMS provides an end-to-end solution for a transition to the whole monitoring aspects and also allows them to have a choice of what they want. WebNMS has partnered with 4-5 OEMs so far.

z Product security About the security of their product Karen said, “When everything gets connected there is always a question of security. But, Zoho has a promise of keeping its customers’ data secure. Businesses are opening the eyes to the concept of being on the cloud, where they can securely store data. This is a very important aspect of our company as a whole. As a part of Zoho, WebNMS also uses the same infrastructure. The security ecosystem begins from receiving the data, how we store it, how we take care of segregating personal information, encrypting it and also decide on who will be able to access it based on the authentication along with the product.”

The company has worked with its partners to ensure there is no data loss.

z Moving forward Bringing visibility into the aspect of fleet management and to the entire business area is a focus area for WebNMS. “We see that whatever software that is out there in the market, is more likely a by- load product. For us, it is a connected part of a connected business offering and we want to promote it where the value of the whole fleet management is brought into the enterprise or the system. Another aspect is that with machine learning and AI, analytics plays a major role. Today, we are collecting data and there is a lot more to gain by using those data. We also analyse them and ask the right questions for each domain that the customers require. This will help them solve their problems with much ease. So, the direction is bringing the fleet data and connecting it to the entire connected ecosystem in the business workflow and into other apps,” Karen said. The software team is also discussing with OEMs to enable the connected car ecosystem. This enables them to collect data from cars to make it better. This will be in an OEM partnership, where the vendors collaborate with the

firm to enable the connected car platform. WebNMS is not offering this as a product or solution yet.

Karen Ravindranath, Programme Head of WebNMS

All Zoho products are made in India for the world. It is developed at its main research and development centre in Chennai. For the fleet management solution, the R&D team has only 20 members, though in the Chennai centre the company has around 5000 employees. Zoho invests continuously to bring out the best solutions. “It is not just the fleet product but the larger IoT products are the key investment for us. That platform takes care of how data comes from a moving asset or device and how we store it. We do the analytics over it. The infrastructure here takes care of how you store huge amount of data that comes from 1000s of vehicles on the move. So, there is a larger team that is enabling the security, and we have a separate team for each of it,” Karen said. ACI

Another major issue is connectivity. This being one of the important aspects, WebNMS and its partners come up with different options to make sure the platform is connected always. Karen said the software can run even with a 2G network. Not just this, the device also stores data when there is a network issue and saves it once it receives the signal. 37 37 WWW.AUTOCOMPONENTSINDIA.COM

AUTO COMPONENTS INDIA FEBRUARY 2019

C OVER STORY Continental supports new mobility with fuel efficient, safety system solutions Story by: Gunjan D. Bidani

igher computational power is required to meet the needs of the fast-paced evolution of mobility technologies. Drivetrains are no longer allmechanical systems. Specifically for India, with the impending BS-VI implementation, electronics content is on the rise, making higher computational power imperative. With high computing platforms, car manufacturers will be able to maintain their ability to compete on various innovative functions and enlarge flexibility on software development. The technology company Continental, which celebrated ten years of local production in India last year, develops the required need-of-the-hour technologies and services for sustainable and connected mobility

Prashant Doreswamy, Head of Continental India

of people and their goods. “In Luxury cars today, there are 100s of Electronic Control Units (ECUs) to operate the vehicle. Every part requires expertise in the domain of electronics. These vehicles are more of one single computer running,” Prashant Doreswamy, Head of Continental India, said. As India is all set to adopt BS-VI emission standards, enhancement

of combustion engines and electro-mobility is the priority. Continental develops and produces efficient system solutions for vehicle powertrains to optimize fuel consumption. The product range from Continental includes gasoline and diesel injection systems, engine management and transmission control, including sensors and actuators, exhaust-gas after treatment technologies, fuel supply systems, and components and systems for hybrid and electric drives. The company is setting up a new plant in Talegaon, Pune, for its powertrain business. Putting the spotlight on the cost limitation in the automotive electronics market, Doreswamy says, “Cost is a challenge in India. The present mark worthy technology is not an affordable solution keeping in mind the Indian market. Electrification of Hatchbacks will cost much higher, this being said, more than 50% passenger vehicles are hatchbacks in India. Some disruption needs to happen, so that the cost decreases and the footprint of electrification increases in India” About the increasing market demand for Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) and Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Doreswamy said, “We at Continental continue to drive safety technology towards our vision of zero accidents and therefore support making safety available to everyone. The good news about the India market is the increase in consumer awareness about vehicle safety, the seriousness with which the Government is approaching this topic, and the commitment of

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COVER STORY z Continental breaks ground for new plant in Pune Continental has held the groundbreaking of its green field plant in Talegaon, Pune, dedicated to its powertrain business. Around 30 million euros (Rs 240 crore) are planned to be invested in infrastructure and buildings until 2020. Production start is scheduled for early 2020 for various drivetrain products including engine management systems, sensors and actuators as well as fuel and exhaust management components for passenger cars, two-wheelers and commercial vehicles. Klaus Hau, Executive Vice President, Powertrain Components Business Unit, said, “India plays a central role in our global growth strategy. Due to the increasing stringent emission legislation in the automotive market, including two-wheeler market, we are expecting a growing demand for low-emission technologies. Through this investment, we are expanding our involvement in this important market, thereby ensuring that we will better satisfy the customers’ growing demand.” Prashanth Doreswamy, Market Head, Continental India

and Managing Director, Continental Automotive India, said, “This investment reinforces our commitment to the Indian market. Continental has been growing ahead of the market in India. To continue doing so, we need to invest both in technologies of tomorrow and expand our reach in the market. Wih this investment in our powertrain business, Continental will better support India’s drive for cleaner air.” Continental has invested around 260 million euros (Rs 2100 crore) in India during the 10-year period from 2008 for its various businesses. The company is supporting customers in their transition to BS-VI emission standards and the company will invest in enhancing combustion engines and electro-mobility. In December 2018, Continental announced groundbreaking of green field facility in Pune to manufacture premium surface materials for the automotive interior for 22 million euros (Rs 180 crore). The company recently announced an additional R&D facility in its existing automotive plant in Gurgaon.

manufacturers. As a technology company, we will fully support this positive movement, and will continue to make investments where necessary.” As the market prepares itself to adopt the legislation for ABS, scheduled for entry in April 2019, Continental has opened two new lines for ABS and ESC assembly at its Gurgaon plant. With vehicles becoming ‘mobile devices’ with permanent and seamless connectivity, the rate of risks and security become higher which is an area of concern for vehicle manufacturers. Taking into account the security from the beginning of a component development, Continental and Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) last year. Together with IIT Madras, Continental plans to conduct joint research in high computing platform and cyber security for powertrain applications.

“As a technology company, it is Continental’s priority to invest in the technologies of tomorrow. India is an important R&D hub for Continental, and we plan to increase our R&D footprint in the country. With focused R&D, innovations and ongoing improvement of our

components and systems, both at the new centre in Gurgaon, dedicated to brake systems, and the R & D-intensive Technical Centre in Bengaluru, India’s contribution to Vision Zero – a future with zero accidents – will be significant,” Doreswamy said. ACI 39 39

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C OVER STORY E-Trio ready to roll out retrofitted electric cars Stroy by: Sricharan R

Sathya Y, Founder of E-Trio Automobiles

he Telangana-based start-up E-Trio Automobiles, which has been focusing on the emerging electric vehicles space, is all set to launch retrofitted cars in India. Retrofitting is nothing but converting an existing IC engine vehicle to electric. E-Trio Automobiles is in the electric vehicle segment and is ready with retrofitted cars for the Indian market. Being the first company to get ARAI approval for retrofitted car-kits in Maruti Suzuki Alto and Wagon R, the firm has now started to work on Hyundai i10, Maruti Suzuki Omni and Ertiga. It will

also launch an e-bicycle for the last mile connectivity. “Retrofitting is the way to go and need of the hour and these smart cars are very efficient and economical. Our vision is to create e-mobility which inspires and nurtures pollution-free India. We believe that affordable range is the key to helping electromobility achieve a breakthrough in the near future,” Sathya Y, Founder of E-Trio Automobiles, told Auto Components India. “We are ready with the retrofitted

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Alto and Wagon R. These will be launched soon in the market. Going forward, we have started working on to retrofit i10, Omni and Ertiga. The kits for these are still in the design and integration phase. Once, we roll out the Alto, Wagon-R and Dzire for the certification, we will have the new models ready for testing. The kits are being imported from China and we need to fit them here. Though the core technology is from China and Korea, the products we make are Indiaspecific. We are replicating them with our own R&D team, making

COVER STORY them more suitable for our climate and roads,” he said. With the retrofitting, the weight of the vehicle will increase by 50kg, even after removing the IC engine. Even though there is an increase in weight, the car behaves the same way as a petrol/ diesel car. Removing the engine gives more space in the front of the car. So far, the company has not used the space. It may be used to accommodate a small battery pack. The e-bicycle is in the testing stage. “We have a clear road map and believe in economic and efficient products. E-bicycle is the cheapest mode of transport. This is one of the reasons for us not to venture into the e-bike segment. We target the e-bicycle for the rural market where the people travel to a maximum of 20-25 km a day and this would be useful for them,” Sathya said. The upcoming plant of E-Trio in Boloram, Hyderabad, has a capacity to manufacture 1000 cars a month. The retrofitting firm plans to roll out at least 5000 cars this year. It has many new orders from all over India, and it is ready to sell kits and retrofitted cars in the market. “The retrofitted kits are imported, while the controller is developed in-house. So far around 25% of our components are localised. We plan full localization in 2 years,” he said.

enhanced range of batteries. While the version 2 of Wagon R is expected to give 220km per charge (now 150km), the Dzire will give 250km (now 180km). The firm also holds a software through which one can study the dynamic health of the battery by monitoring the state of charge, discharge and the discharge and charge cycles. Sathya said, “The battery cost would not be an issue here as it is a sensible solution for IT professionals. In other words, it is for someone who takes a car for a 20-30 km ride every day. We are also targeting fleet operators. Every car we do is designed for easy swapping of the battery. So, it will be easy for them too.” Until the required charging infrastructure is ready, E-Trio will offer battery swapping technology, which might come in handy for many. For the disposal of the batteries, E-Trio is in talks with several telecom companies where these low efficient batteries can be used.

z R&D The whole development of the retrofitting company comes from its research and development team in Hyderabad. The team of 14 members here and 5 in China is headed by Stanford alumnus. Before every project, a prototype will be made in China and tested. Once it passes all the tests it will be made in India again. E-Trio also has plans to expand the centre, but not in the near future. ACI

z Battery range The retrofitted Alto, Wagon R and Dzire can run up to 150 km/h with a single charge now. The company is working to improve the range of the battery. It is working with the leading battery firms in China. The version-2 of the vehicles are under testing and they will have 41 41 WWW.AUTOCOMPONENTSINDIA.COM

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C OVER STORY Croyance Automotive ready with E-CV Story by: Sricharan R

he Gujarat-based electric vehicle manufacturer, Croyance Automotive, is ready with its electric-powered commercial vehicles. Established in 2015, the company has 2 variants in the small commercial vehicle segment namely, Electro 1.T and Electro 2.T. They are scheduled for launch in April 2019. The vehicles are completely made in India for the Indian roads. “Initially, we will be launching the EV in the metropolitan regions. We will have a pan-India presence through the 4 major metro cities and then we will move to other areas. The vehicles are 100% electric and are completely made in India with no import content. The 1-ton variant (Electro 1.T) can run up to 120 km with a single charge. Charging is as simple as charging a mobile phone,” Kapila Soni, Founder and Director, Croyance Automotive, said. Croyance is also coming up with an app that

will provide battery assistance to its customers. The app will keep them informed about the battery power and other important details. It will also notify the owner on when the battery needs to be replaced. The app will be launched along with the vehicle. “With the maximum load, the Electro 1.T can run at a maximum speed of 45-55 Km. The vehicle is fully automatic and is also equipped with hill assistance. With the international design, it has comfortable seats and air vents for the drivers. Original road testing has been done in Gujarat, where we have our manufacturing plant. The running cost of the vehicle for a km is less than Re 1. The vehicle needs registration and the driver has to hold a valid driving license to drive it,” she said. Soni claims the electric CV to be costeffective and eco-friendly with zeroemissions. She said the government has plans to install charging stations for every 50 km on the highways and for every 3 km in cities. This will make recharging the batteries easy for the consumers and make them use more EVs. “The government plans to have 100% pollution-free vehicles in the coming years. These electric vehicles will become very practical then. Some private firms are coming up with charging stations on their own. We also have plans to set up our own charging stations at our service and after sales outlets,” she said. While the Electro 1.T will be able to run

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on the roads, the Electro 2.T is mainly designed for internal movements like inside a warehouse, airports and railway stations. The Electro 2.T has a speed limit of 25 km. Croyance has set a sales target of 700-800 vehicles in 2019. With the uniqueness of the product the company hopes to exceed the target. The founder said the competitors do not provide the specs they have which also include the driving distance. Cost also plays a major role here. The company also offers an after-sales warranty of 20000 km. The weight of the vehicle is 670 kg, and most of it is of the six batteries and their components. “Many of our competitors create an EV by converting an IC engine. But, we start from the scratch and exclusively make an electric commercial vehicle. This is another major advantage that distinguishes us from our competitors,” Soni said. The first phase of the manufacturing facility in Vapi, Gujarat is in progress. It is spread on 10-12 acres. As an expansion plan, Croyance is also planning to set up another manufacturing facility either in Chennai or Andhra Pradesh after the launch of the vehicles in April 2019. With the additional facility the electric vehicle manufacturer aim to export its vehicles. The 14-member R&D team of Croyance based in the Gujarat facility is working on increasing the battery range to 250-300 km from the present 120-150 km in a single charge. It is also working on a car model (4-seater) which is likely to come to the market in 2020. The company also has plans to expand the R&D centre as it is looking to set up new centres in Bengaluru and Chennai. “This is mainly done to reduce the transportation cost,” Soni said. ACI

COVER STORY TN leads in automotive electronics sector ACI Bureau

“T

amil Nadu is the second largest economy in the country and has significant advantages in attracting investments, especially in the automotive electronics sector. Though a silent performer, Tamil Nadu has a consistent growth rate of 7% and attracts investments in 12 major sectors,” M Velmurugan, Executive Vice Chairman, Investment Promotion, Tamil Nadu Industrial Guidance and Export Promotion Bureau, said at the 4th edition of the conference on Automotive Electronics. The event was organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on the theme: ‘Next Megatrends in Automotive Electronics’. TN has a long history in the automobile manufacturing sector and went on the right path of building components base, he said. During the presentation, Velmurugan added, “Tamil Nadu stands number one in almost 10 parameters as of 2018. In a recent survey, the State has been addressed as the best performer with overall performance in all the sectors.” According to the result published by the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), Tamil Nadu is ranked number two in overall performance and ranked number one in various other parameters like infrastructure, skilled manpower, good governance and many more, he added. The conference on Automotive

Electronics discussed various current and future trends in automotive electronics and served as an opportunity for stakeholders to establish synergy in the special area of interest. Speaking at the event, Amit Jain, Conference Chairman and CEO, Executive Director of Advance Electronics, Technology and Development, UNO MINDA, NK Minda Group, said the automotive sector was at a transformation phase and a lot of changes would come in the next few years. There is huge demand in the automotive sector and everyone should look at India as a major place for investments. Ashok Chandak, Senior Director, NXP Semiconductors, said, “Automotive sector is the biggest contributor to GDP and is the driving force behind innovations. The architecture of the automotive sector is changing and is creating more and more opportunities. As we go into multiple domain architecture the networking inside the vehicle will change. The key domains in architecture include software, security and safety. We should see how these megatrends should be applied immediately. It will be the electronics that is very instrumental in realising all future vision which we look for. There are three important things

that are happening worldwide: connectivity, autonomous and electrification. All these things should drive to safe and secure mobility.” “India is the hub for automotive electronics. Infrastructure, methods and tools, systems and process, and innovation ecosystem are the key factor for automotive electronics sector to take lead. The ADAS functionality, which is relevant for India is something that we need to focus on. A few other areas where we could adopt are the autonomous energy braking for commercial vehicles and buses, lane departure warning etc. These are possible and relevant to the Indian market. It might be difficult and complex to bring these technologies in, but many things are happening to make this available for the Indian market,” Srinivas Aravapalli, Automotive Technology Consultant, said. ACI

Ashok Chandak, Sr Director, NXP Semiconductor, Amit Jain, Conference Chairman & CEO & ED – Adv. Electronics, Technology & Development, UNO MINDA, NK Minda Group, M Velmurugan, IES (R), Executive Vice Chairman - Investment Promotion, Tamil Nadu Industrial Guidance & Export Promotion Bureau and Srinivas Aravapalli, Automotive Technology Consultant

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C OVER STORY CES 2019 sets the world abuzz with innovative technologies ACI Bureau

ES 2019, held from January 7 to 11 in Las Vegas, USA, demonstrated the bright future made possible by the next generation of technology innovation that fuel the expansion of technology into new areas such as vehicle tech, 5G, artificial intelligence, smart cities, resilience, sports, digital health and more. At CES 2019, owned and produced by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), more than 4,500 exhibitors showcased the latest tech innovations to some 180,000 attendees across more than 2.9 million net sqft of exhibit space. From global brands to visionary startups, these companies set the world abuzz with the promise of technology. “CES showcased the power of innovation to solve global

invest $10 million in venture firms and funds focused on women, people of colour and other underrepresented startups and entrepreneurs. CTA also released its newest book, Ninja Future, exploring the skills needed to remain competitive in the rapidly-changing future. problems and improve lives around the world,” said Gary Shapiro, President and CEO, CTA. “The passion, ideas and business connections at CES made this the most significant global tech event – and the most inspirational week of the year,” he said. “Every business must now embrace technology to succeed,” said Karen Chupka, Executive Vice President, CES. “And companies like Proctor & Gamble, John Deere and Raytheon proved that at CES 2019,” Chupka said. The CES 2019 keynote stage featured some of the biggest names in technology, including AMD, AT&T Communications, IBM, LG and Verizon. CTA released its 2019 International Innovation Scorecard grading countries on how well they support innovation, and announced it will

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CES was the only show where the entire 5G ecosystem – the backbone for transportation, virtual reality, sports technology and digital health – came together. “5G will change everything and it is the promise of so much more than what we have seen from wireless technology,” Hans Vestberg, CEO, Verizon, said during his keynote. Fellow keynoter John Donovan, CEO of AT&T Communications, discussed the company’s recent launch of its 5G Evolution network. CES 2019 was also a turbocharged mobility show, with 11 of the world’s leading car manufacturers highlighting the future of transportation – including an air taxi from Bell Helicopter and an electric motorcycle from Harley-Davidson. Self-driving technology will save lives, enable greater accessibility and improve productivity. The event showcased that artificial

COVER STORY intelligence will influence every aspect of human life. IBM Chairman, President and CEO Ginni Rometty’s opening keynote explored how AI will prove that data is the “world’s greatest natural resource,” enabling revolutions from smart cities to health care, transportation to robotics. During Rometty’s keynote, Delta CEO, Ed Bastian and Walmart EVP of Food, Charles Redfield shared examples of AI and blockchain technology in their businesses. The CES Sports Zone showcased the entire sports tech ecosystem – innovations in smart venues, training, virtual and augmented reality and eSports creating immersive content that will change the way people play, watch and experience sports. Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver discussed how their partnership proves social media can promote fan engagement, and the Gamespot eSports truck featured 10 gaming kiosks for both professional gamers and attendees to showcase their skills. CES brought together content creators, Hollywood, the advertising industry, media and leading CMOs – such as

Proctor & Gamble’s Marc Pritchard, IBM’s Michelle Peluso, Unilever’s Keith Weed – to explore the future of brand marketing and entertainment. Exhibits and conference sessions explored the effect of AI on marketing and consumer engagement, mobile and over-the-top video, and content consumption. Eureka Park, the home for startups at CES, featured more than 1,200 companies from over 50 countries offering disruptive innovations, attracting investors and big-name brands. This year Eureka Park – which has launched successful companies including Ring, Benjilock and LifeFuels – included a pitch competition, sponsored by the Consumer Technology Association Foundation and AARP. Digital health technologies were a major theme, and attendees experienced the latest advances and trends in health care. Over 260 doctors and other health professionals attended the Disruptive Innovations in Health Care conference, which offered Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits at CES for the first time.

Resilient technologies will keep the world healthy, safe, warm, powered, fed and secure. Sustainable technologies from companies including YOLK and Zero Mass Water will produce efficient energy solutions and help provide drinking water to developing nations, while reducing the global carbon footprint. Others like Higher Ground Technologies keep us connected anywhere in the world. In addition to the CES Corporate Keynotes, the CES 2019 conference programme featured industry leaders and visionaries on more than 250 sessions focused on disruptive industry trends that will shape the future of consumer technology. During the session, “AI Use Cases: Health, Mobility and Cyber security,” executives from USAA, Philips and Veoneer detailed opportunities with AI as the technology advances. The panel also identified several challenges in its use to solve pressing problems in health care, mobility and cyber security. The need for high quality and clean data emerged as an important priority to support the growth and evolution of AI in solving problems.

z Continental At CES 2019, Continental exhibited how a driverless vehicle could be used to stage and deploy delivery robots, taking packages all the way to the consumer – even when they’re not able to physically receive them. The seamless integration of a driverless vehicle – in this case, the Continental Urban Mobility Experience (CUbE) – and a delivery robot present a more effective and efficient distribution of goods. Driverless vehicles like the CUbE, Continental’s autonomous electrified development platform, are generally considered as a solution for urban “first or last mile” mobility. This type of vehicle – often referred to as a robo-taxi or pod – will be a part of the seamless mobility value chain. The purpose of these vehicles will be extended to goods delivery to further utilise the available transport capacity and reduce idle times.“With the help of robot delivery, Continental’s vision for seamless mobility can extend right to your doorstep. Our vision of cascaded robot delivery leverages a driverless vehicle to carry delivery robots, creating an efficient transport team,” Ralph Lauxmann, Head of Systems &

Technology, Chassis & Safety division, Continental, said. Automated goods delivery is forecasted to provide an answer for up to 80% of all business-to-consumer deliveries, 45 45 WWW.AUTOCOMPONENTSINDIA.COM

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COVER STORY according to multiple research sources. Continental views automated goods delivery as an integral part of future urban mobility as an addition to conventional goods delivery. Driverless vehicles like the CUbE can carry one or multiple delivery robots and deploy them to handle the last yards of the goods and parcel delivery logistics chain. “Industrialising the automation of goods delivery requires reliable, robust, high-performing and best-cost technology – a mix perfectly reflected in the automotive equivalent of automation. It is this very profile of expertise that has made Continental one of the industry-leading suppliers of advanced driver assistance systems and vehicle automation,” Lauxmann said. With existing delivery robots serving as a development platform, Continental is ready to transfer and scale automotive technology to meet robot manufacturers’ requirements. “The challenges to a delivery robot parallel what we already solve for in automated vehicles,” said Jeremy McClain, Director of Systems and Technology, Continental North America. “Plus, delivery robots will require technology that is just as advanced and robust as our automotive solutions.” With the ever-increasing popularity of online shopping and the growth of megacities, unique solutions for package delivery will be needed. Driverless vehicles combined with delivery robots could be the perfect answer. Driverless vehicles will represent a very important element in the Smart Cities of the future. They are considered by many experts asa key element of future mobility concepts to solve the challenges of urbanisation. A driverless vehicle can be in use almost 24/7. Innovative city planners see driverless vehiclesas a valuable addition to public mass transport by eliminating the need for a privately owned car to get to the nearest point of access to other means of transport. “There will be peaks in demand for driverless vehiclesduring the day. To make use of driverless vehiclesoutside those peak ‘rush’ hours is where robot-delivery comes in. “We see great potential in our automotive technology to support robotics companies in developing autonomous delivery robots as an additional use case for driverless vehicles” McClain said.

z Schaeffler Bio-Hybrid GmbH, a company belonging to the Schaeffler Group, presented at CES 2019 the near-production Bio-Hybrid – a new, modern form of personal urban mobility and means of transportation. The variable and electrically-assisted vehicles were showcased in the Cargo and Passenger versions. “As a pioneer, Schaeffler presented the ‘Bio-Hybrid’ product category as a vision for private transportation in urban areas in 2016. This vision is now turning into reality. At the end of 2017, we established Schaeffler Bio-Hybrid GmbH. As a 46 46 AUTO COMPONENTS INDIA FEBRUARY 2019

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spin-off, the fully owned subsidiary is able to operate with the flexibility of a startup and has the mission to develop the Bio-Hybrid to production level. The world premiere of the two near-production prototypes at CES marked the next step on the road to the planned market launch in 2020,” Prof. Peter Gutzmer, Deputy CEO and Chief Technology Officer of Schaeffler AG, said. “A central aim is to prevent the impending total gridlock in big cities and to make them more pedestrian-focused and livable. This can only be achieved by de-conflicting traffic by means of new, intelligent vehicle concepts. An approach like this requires vehicles that in a connected and systemically shared environment attain high flexibility while minimising the need for space. This is exactly what the Bio-Hybrid offers,” Gerald Vollnhals, Project Manager at Schaeffler Bio-Hybrid GmbH, said. Based on the concept unveiled in 2016, the Schaeffler startup continuously pursed the further development of the BioHybrid. The versions showcased at CES will be deployed in a test field in the middle of 2019. In addition to the drive system, for example, the operating concept and the design were completely revised for this purpose. Concurrently, Schaeffler established a ten-member team the size of which is to double in 2019. Patrick Seidel, who is responsible for strategy and business development at Schaeffler Bio-Hybrid GmbH, said: “In the next major step, we will continue to drive our marketing, sales and industrialisation concept and are open to partnerships in this respect.”

COVER STORY The Cargo and Passenger versions share the same modular platform delivering high levels of comfort and maximum safety standards. Due to its 4 wheels, the concept offers exceptional driving stability. As a result of having a roof and a windshield, the vehicle can be used in any type of weather and thus in all seasons. It is hardly wider than a normal bicycle and can be operated on bicycle paths as well with zero emissions. The passenger version offers a new form of personal and design-oriented urban mobility. It comfortably seats two people behind one another. The cargo version provides a variable solution for zero-emissions hauling of goods. The vehicle to be showcased in Las Vegas is a kind of “pick-up.” The modular body makes the Bio-Hybrid a veritable quickchange artist: refrigeration vehicle, coffee shop or locked stowage compartment – anything is possible. In terms of cargo volume and payload, the Cargo version is perfectly prepared to handle hauling requirements in urban areas and provides an alternative within the future mobility mix.

z Hero Electronix Hero Electronix has announced its entry into the consumer technology space with a series of AI-powered, connected devices. The team at Hero Electronix believes that a massive revolution is coming as smart devices proliferate driven by technology trends like ubiquitous connectivity, cloud computing, artificial intelligence and low-cost sensors. Existing products ranging from cameras to audio speakers are getting smarter and a whole new range of devices emerging (i.e. dash cam, child trackers) that can make our lives more convenient, safer and entertaining. Taking advantage of these technologies, Hero Electronix plans to launch more than 10 intelligent products across Home Automaton, Automotive, Health and Entertainment domains in the next 5 years. Each of these devices is being architected ground up to solve specific needs of Indian consumers and to work in Indian environments and family set-ups. To develop these solutions, HEPL has made massive R&D investments over the course of past 24 months and partnered with global technology giants like Amazon and Qualcomm. The first of these products was previewed at the CES 2019. This is a breakthrough product designed to be the centerpiece of security, entertainment and automation needs of your home. At its heart, it’s a HD camera with advanced artificial intelligence that allows you to remotely monitor and protect your home. Features like facial recognition and 2-way audio help you to stay connected with loved ones. Night vision and motion (unknown person detection) alerts help guard against potential incidents. It has Alexa and home hub built-in, so you can use your voice to play music, control smart home devices, access skills and more- hands free. Moreover, this product is powered by the Qualcomm Vision Intelligence 100 Platform, based on the APQ8053 System-On-Chip (SoC). The

Qualcomm Vision Intelligence platform includes a highly optimised custom CPU and GPU that is designed to provide high compute capability at low-power for on-device machine learning including integrated connectivity and support for display and audio features. Finally, it has a high-quality speaker that can fill your home with high fidelity sound. This made-in-India device is among the very few innovations from India to be presented at CES 2019, which speaks to its capabilities and uniqueness. Planning for the long-term, Hero Electronix has invested in building the core technology components in-house. The complete technology stack – hardware, cloud software, device software, app – has been architected by its Engineers over a period of 2 years and built in collaboration with leading global partners. Additionally, Hero Electronix has made significant investments in AI (specifically image processing), which have led to significant breakthroughs in terms of product feature/functionality. Ujjwal Munjal, Founder Director, Hero Electronix said, “We at Hero Electronix feel proud to have our products showcased at CES 2019, we intend on launching a series of AI-Powered connected products that are designed and built grounds up in India for India and the world. Each of these intelligent consumer devices is unique, innovative and first of its kind in many aspects, best in class even on a global stage.” Nikhil Rajpal, CEO, Hero Electronix said, “We believe we have a unique opportunity available to us at this point. There is a major revolution coming where AI powered connected devices can solve massive real-world problems. While we are addressing the home automation space with our first range of products in the near term, we will soon come out with products targeted at the automotive, health and fitness space.”

z ZF CES 2019 saw an array of production-ready ZF technologies that will help to make fully autonomous driving in public traffic a reality. The company made the world premiere of ZF ProAI RoboThink, the most powerful AI-capable supercomputer in the mobility industry. This

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COVER STORY automotive-grade system, combined with ZF’s fully developed sensor suite, allows real-time analysis of and reaction to virtually any kind of complex traffic situations, making autonomous mobility-as-a-service possible. Fully networked system solutions based on the ZF Cloud link the vehicle to the IoT, as well as to customer applications such as payment systems or ride-hailing services. This comprehensive offering was on display at CES 2019 in the form of a fully operational robo-taxi, highlighting what is now feasible thanks to ZF. “With its unique concept in terms of flexibility, modularity and scalability, this outstanding product accelerates the development of driverless vehicles as well as their ability to autonomously move people and goods,” Wolf-Henning Scheider, CEO of ZF Friedrichshafen AG, said. A performance of up to 600 trillion calculation operations per second (600 teraOPS) puts the ZF ProAI RoboThink in the pole position for automotive-grade central control units. This level of computing power is designed to be capable of networking the stream of internal and external sensor data with carto-X communication and cloud-based data input in real time, providing a platform to help safely operate a Level4+ autonomous vehicle in virtually any kind of public traffic. This is a precondition to support the future segment of autonomous ride-hailing services from areas with predefined routes like campuses or company grounds to the significantly more complex environment of public road traffic. In the wake of this developing trend, ZF also premiered its own software stack for new mobility concepts at the CES. This stack together with the latest ZF Pro AI and the company’s comprehensive sensor set represent a fully integrated system for driverless vehicles that can be easily adopted by the new players in the field of mobility services.

z Visteon Visteon Corporation, a leading global supplier of automotive cockpit solutions, offered a glimpse into the smart, learning

digital cockpit of the future at CES 2019. Visteon showcased advanced technologies that can power the in-vehicle user experience of the automotive cockpit in the emerging era of more automated driving. Visteon’s integrated solutions are aimed at improving safety on the road while enabling seamless access to information – from personal devices, the vehicle and the cloud – using the latest innovations in technology. Key highlights of this new cockpit electronics architecture include: A high-powered cockpit domain controller that integrates the instrument cluster; infotainment and other cockpit functions into a single ECU with advanced graphics, over-the-air software updates, and state-of-the-art cyber security; large high-resolution displays that are curved and non-rectangular to deliver an enhanced viewing experience without limiting interior panel design; a scalable autonomous domain controller for Level 2 and higher automated driving that is integrated with the cockpit domain controller for seamless interaction with the driver; a machine learningbased voice recognition and text-to-speech solution for a natural language; conversational smart assistant In-cabin driver and other occupant detection and identification technology, also based on machine learning for improved safety functionality. “The shift toward electric cars and improved automated driving technology is an opportunity to rethink the cockpit in terms of how drivers and passengers interact with the vehicle and their surroundings. As vehicles become more automated, there is a need for fresh approaches to the human-machine interface in the cockpit – to ensure control can shift safely and seamlessly between the driver and the vehicle, and to keep occupants informed, engaged and entertained. “In the era of increased automated driving, the cockpit will become a smart, learning, mobile assistant,” Visteon President and CEO Sachin Lawande, said. Visteon’s industry-leading digital cockpit solutions offer automakers a complete suite of technologies to upgrade the user experience of their vehicles. At CES, Visteon demonstrated the integration between the SmartCore cockpit domain controller and the scalable DriveCore autonomous driving controller, which combine to create a seamless HMI between the driver and the vehicle. This interface manages the experience of drivers and passengers as the vehicle seamlessly takes control from the driver or gives it back.

z Bosch At CES 2019, Bosch presented its connected mobility of the future. With the concept shuttle vehicle it developed inhouse, Bosch is celebrating a world first at CES. In this vehicle, the company is presenting solutions for the automation, connectivity, and electrification of vehicles, and is giving 48 48 AUTO COMPONENTS INDIA FEBRUARY 2019

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COVER STORY visitors the chance to experience at first hand a new kind of mobility: driverless shuttles, which will soon be a feature on the streets of the world’s cities. “This will pay into our vision of mobility that is as emissionsfree, accident-free, and stress-free as possible,” says Dr Markus Heyn, Board of management member, Bosch. For shuttle-based mobility such as this, Bosch will be supplying not only components and systems, but also a complete range of mobility services, such as reservation, sharing, and connectivity platforms, as well as parking and recharging services. Bosch believes that such connected services are essential for the shuttle-based mobility of the future. The forecast market volume for these services is also high: while it was 47 billion euros in 2017, it is estimated that it will be as much as 140 billion euros by 2022 (source: PwC). Bosch also wants to have a share in this, and aims for significant doubledigit growth with the solutions it offers. For Heyn, there is no doubt: “In the future, every vehicle on the road will make use of Bosch digital services. We will consolidate them into a smart, seamlessly connected ecosystem.”

development of fuel-cell powered vehicles, a promising future zero-emissions mobility solution. Connected and increasingly autonomous vehicles will become more complex, with a wide array of hardware, software and services to connect and control. Faurecia’s Cockpit Intelligence Platform (CIP), developed in partnership with Accenture, is an electronics system that manages all the interior functions of the Cockpit for an intuitive interaction between occupants and the vehicle. Using artificial intelligence, over time the CIP learns from information collected from cameras and sensors to predict and personalise the onboard experience. This ranges from automatically recognising a driver and adjusting seating and lighting preferences, creating individual sound bubbles, simplifying interactions via voice, gesture or touch, to proposing multi-sensorial wellness programmes that relax or revitalise occupants. Faurecia’s CIP is connected to the cloud, enabling the system to securely store and access on and offline data to ensure a continuity between home, office and in-vehicle services through edge computing.

z Faurecia Faurecia, which has been developing a comprehensive technology offer to enhance people’s mobility experiences, addresses two key domains: Cockpit of the Future for a safer, more comfortable and personalised experience, and Sustainable Mobility for cleaner and more environmentally-responsible transportation. Faurecia showcased how the onboard intelligence and integrated design of the Cockpit of the Future provides a more versatile, connected and predictive environment that allows people to make the most of their time onboard. Faurecia also demonstrated key technologies to accelerate the

Faurecia has taken a services-oriented approach. The CIP is built on an open source Android platform to support the development and integration of new apps and services. In addition to being highly connected, it’s also scalable and upgradable. This allows automakers to choose which functionalities to integrate in each category of vehicle, as well as upgrade over the air new features to keep vehicles state of the art over their lifetime. Faurecia’s CIP features a number of key specialist technologies, including the software and electronic audio, infotainment and connectivity services of Parrot Faurecia Automotive and Faurecia Coagent Electronics. ACI

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A LLIED INDUSTRIES Epson plans to introduce cobots Story by: Sricharan R

he Japanese electronics company Epson, which has an extensive range of multifunction printers, data and home theatre projectors, point of sale (POS) printers and large format printing solutions, robots and industrial automation equipment, is planning to have cobots in its product kitty. With the cobots, the Indian arm, Epson India is planning to have strong foothold in the Indian market. A cobot is a robot intended to physically interact with humans in a shared workspace. This is in contrast with other robots and is designed to operate autonomously or with

limited guidance. Epson’s robotic division designs and manufactures Cartesian, SCARA and 4 and 6-axis industrial robots for factory automation. Talking about cobots, Satyanarayana P, Director of LFP, Visual Products and Robots, Epson India Pvt Ltd, said, “We are working on cobots (collaborative robot) and it is too early to share details about it. We will be working on the concept, development and prototype. So, we are working on cobots and we will come out at the proper time. Before introducing a product, we spend around 5 years on the development and come up with a right solution.” Epson India markets and supports

Epson Inkjet Printers, Inkjet all-inones, point of sale printers, 3LCD projectors, scanners, large format printers, robots and dot-matrix printers. “We have 2 types of robots here, the 4-axis and 6-axis. Right now, the trend is more towards the 4-axis. This is because it is affordable, easy to manage and suits the budget of many customers. The 6-axis, which is a little more expensive, requires better infrastructure and many of the manufacturers are not capable of that. We are trying to promote the 6-axis, but the major business is happening in 4-axis. Epson’s 6-axis robots can do a lot of operations and the 4-axis has a wider customer base because of the cost. Once people are at a comfort level with the 4-axis they will also start using the 6-axis. In the past 7 years, we have installed more than 500 robots in the market,” Satyanarayana said. The robots division of Epson in India was started in 2011. “When you look at the global level, the usage of robots in industry is around 70 for every 10000 workers. This is the world average and it differs in countries like South Korea, Singapore, Germany, Japan and the US. They use more than the world average. For example, South Korea uses around 600 robots for every 10000 workers. In India, it is iust 3 robots for the ratio. So, this brings in huge potential for the robotics market. Slowly, the market is growing and in 2017, the estimated shipment of robots to India was around 3000. In 2020, we expect this to double,” he said. Globally, Epson offers 4 different lines of SCARA robots including the T-Series, G-Series, RS-Series, and LS-Series. The performance and features offered for each series of robot are determined by

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ALLIED INDUSTRIES the intended purpose and needs of the robot. The T- Series robot is a high-performance alternative to slide robots for pick-and-place operations. G-Series offers a wide variety of robots in regards to the size, arm design, payload application, and more. The RSSeries offers two SCARA robots that are mounted from above and have the ability to move the second axis under the first axis. The LS-Series features several low-cost and highperformance robots that come in a variety of sizes. The company has a 30-year heritage and there are more than 30,000 robots installed in manufacturing industries around the world. Epson uses a standardised PC-based controller for 6-axis robots, SCARA, and Linear Module needs. In 2018, the market estimation in India for the 3-20kg robots was around 3500. Around 60% of this went to heavy loads and 11-12% to the 3-5 kg segment. The rest 27-28% was for the x-y axis. The company expects to install 200-210 robots this year, which means it will have 58-59% market share. Epson does not have a manufacturing facility in India as of now. Last year Epson India had a turnover of Rs 1664 crore. The target for this year is Rs 2000 crore. When asked if the robots would be India-specific, Satyanarayana, said, “It is not a question of bringing in India-specific robots. The mentality of implementing automation is still not comfortable for many manufacturers here. India is more price sensitive than other markets. With this in mind, we have positioned a cost-effective product called the T3 series. This is affordable for the Indian manufacturers. Another major aspect is to try and develop more proof of concepts on works that are carrying out. When this comes in, it can save time and increase

productivity. Adaptation of robots is increasing, and we will witness the increase in robots here in the Indian industry too.” In the robotic division, the company has many competitors. About the differentiating factors of Epson, Satyanarayana said, “It is not a question of how different or unique we are. We give out the solution that the customer requires. We have competitions, but we have got various products. Each industry is different and Epson is supplying according to the customer’s requirements.” The company’s internal team meets the customers and design to meet their expectations. The company works with a few system integrators who help it in designing and this helps Epson to reach a larger customer base. “Initially, people felt that robots are needed only for the manufacturing industry. Slowly it is getting into other industries too. Epson has installed over 70 robots in the world’s biggest mobile manufacturing unit in Noida. We are expecting to do more there. In this industry, it is mainly used for pick and place and it can also be used for screw tightening, dispensing, inspection etc. Using of robots in such industries is also increasing,” he added.

Satyanarayana P, Director of LFP, Visual Products and Robots, Epson India

We have a lot more to go to Industry 3.0 and we are progressing. Some of our new robots can be used in the connected ecosystem.” With another major trend being the light-weighting robots, Epson has T3 series robots which are light in weight and affordable. Earlier, robots and the controlling units were sold separately and now it has changed. The T3 series comes with more automation and occupies less space. ACI

z Future plans Moving towards the future, the market is looking at Industry 4.0. Epson plans to adopt and take this to their products. The company is also looking at deep learning and more reliable robots for the connected markets. Satyanarayana said, “Our products will suit the Industry 4.0. 51 51 WWW.AUTOCOMPONENTSINDIA.COM

AUTO COMPONENTS INDIA FEBRUARY 2019

O EM Mercedes-Benz car sales in India move up ACI Bureau

ercedes-Benz continued its lead in the Indian luxury car segment for the fourth year in a row. Its car sales increased by 1.4% to 15,538 units in 2018 from 15,330 in 2017. Mercedes-Benz sold 2.3 million cars globally in 2018. Martin Schwenk, Managing Director and CEO, MercedesBenz India, said, “We are satisfied with our sales performance in 2018 despite facing strong macro-economic headwinds in the second half, resulting in low consumer sentiment that posed significant sales challenges. We however made a strong comeback in the fourth quarter and were able to achieve a year-on-year growth. We are excited that we introduced new products and technologies in the market including India’s first BS-VI car, two years ahead of the regulation, and also created new benchmark in the areas of customer service and retail experience, as underlined by the top ranking for Mercedes-Benz in the latest J.D. Power CSI & SSI studies. Our product offensive strategy combined with our carefully crafted customer service and financial programmes bore fruits and helped us in winning over more customers to the brand, than ever before. We are also delighted to have crossed the mark of selling 15,000 units annually for the second consecutive year which underlines the trust and the loyalty of our customers across markets.”

Mercedes-Benz is completing 25 years in India in 2019. “The year will be marked with some of the most significant product introductions which will redefine luxury motoring and chart new avenues for future mobility. ‘Best Never Rest’ will be MercedesBenz India’s motto for 2019, which signifies our relentless journey towards achieving operational excellence. This motto is based on the pillars of trust, respect and passion of our customers and employees since the past 25 years. As pioneers of luxury automobiles in India, we are preparing ourselves for the next phase of change in the auto industry and 2019 will be a key milestone for that journey towards future mobility,” he said. Mercedes-Benz India’s sales momentum in 2018 was buoyed by a young and comprehensive product portfolio comprising the new generation cars, the sedans, the SUVs and the AMG cars. The Long Wheelbase E-Class sedan continued its sales success across markets and continued to remain the single highest selling model for the brand in January-December 2018 period. Similarly, the C-Class sedan and the CLA continue to remain on top of Mercedes-Benz customer preference, with the E-Class breaking a new record in the mentioned period. The SUVs comprising the GLA, GLC, GLE and the GLS maintained their momentum, with the

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GLC remaining as the most popular SUV. Similarly, the high performance AMG models also sustained their momentum in the performance segment from last year, particularly spearheaded by the overwhelming response to the AMG E 63 S, the AMG GLE 43 Coupe and AMG GLC 43 coupe.

z New products for 2019 In 2019, Mercedes-Benz will introduce some of the most fascinating and never seen before products in India. There will be an array of exciting AMG products that will make their India debut in 2019, redefining the ‘driving performance’ for the AMG enthusiasts. Mercedes-Benz India will also continue with its innovation and upscaling of its customer service initiatives and consolidate the existing service initiatives. The Three Pointed Star will not only expand its retail network in newer markets, but also enhance the luxury experience across its dealership through innovative luxury elements. In its 25th Year in India, Mercedes-Benz will offer more than before memorable brand experiences for its discerning customers with significant focus on emerging Tier-II and Tier-III markets. Benchmarking experiential events with new innovations like Brand Tour, Service on Wheels, Service Clinics, LuxeDrive and AMG Emotional Tours will continue to remain the highlight of 2019. ACI

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I NTERNATIONAL Dana enhances electromobility capabilities by acquiring SME Group

ana Incorporated has completed the acquisition of the SME Group, headquartered in Arzignano, Italy, which designs, engineers, and manufactures low-voltage AC induction and synchronous reluctance motors, inverters, and controls for a wide range of off-highway electric vehicle applications, including material handling, agriculture, construction, and automated guided vehicles. The addition of SME’s low-voltage motors and inverters, which are primarily designed to meet the evolution of electrification in offhighway equipment, significantly

expands Dana’s electrified product portfolio. “Dana’s acquisition of SME enhances our ability to address the electrification and hybridization needs of our customers, while also increasing the potential for incremental content per vehicle,” said Jim Kamsickas, president and chief executive officer of Dana. “SME’s exceptional electric motor and inverter products, which largely support off-highway applications, are highly complementary to the technologies we acquired with TM4, which are predominately focused on light- and commercial-vehicle applications.”

Dana’s existing portfolio of Spicer Electrified with TM4 motors and inverters combined with SME’s lowvoltage motors will expand the company’s capabilities to applications ranging up to 250kW. The privately held SME Group employs more than 100 people and operates in China, Germany, Canada, and Italy. Dana’s electrification capabilities will be further strengthened by the anticipated acquisition of the Drive Systems segment of the Oerlikon group, enabling Dana to provide products for a broad range of hybrid and electric-vehicle configurations. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2019. ACI

Henkel, RLE International build strategic alliance

enkel and RLE International have agreed to form a strategic alliance to drive automotive innovation, expand value creation opportunities and become the premier design-in engineering solution provider for the mobility industry. This joint approach to market will grant customers access to a unique global combination of long-term engineering know-how and best-in-class material science which will enable nextgeneration design solutions and new levels of lightweight structures. “To design new e-mobility concepts and lightweight innovations, the

combination of material science and engineering expertise is a significant competitive advantage,” says Dr Christian Kirsten, Corporate Senior Vice President, Henkel Transport & Metal. “Together with RLE International we will create ‘The Mobility Alliance’ with advanced simulation capabilities of full vehicle crash behaviour to improve passenger safety, and component design competence to improve vehicle performance,” said Chuck Evans, Corporate Vice President, Henkel Automotive OEM Design.

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RLE’s core business include effective and technologically sophisticated engineering expertise in vehicle component development and design. “This involves the fields of concept development, vehicle and safety engineering, as well as electrics/electronics, e-mobility and lightweight design”, says Ralf Laufenberg, CEO RLE International, “Once combined with Henkel’s advanced materials knowhow in high performance adhesives and sealants, structural foams and sound-deadeners we will become the go-to engineering partner and preferred advanced material supplier in the industry.” ACI

INTERNATIONAL

Schaeffler expands startup network in the US

utomotive supplier Schaeffler has entered into a partnership with Plug and Play, a Silicon Valleybased innovation platform that connects startups with established corporations and venture capitalists. Schaeffer will focus on technologies from the Mobility and Internet of Things (IoT) verticals, while also keeping an eye on innovations coming out of Energy, New Materials & Packaging, and Supply Chain & Logistics. “We are excited to engage with our new partners at Plug and Play, who give us a compelling new avenue to uncover trends and opportunities for advancing our ‘Mobility for tomorrow’ corporate strategy,” said Prof. Dr.-Ing. Tim Hosenfeldt, Schaeffler’s Senior Vice President for Technology Strategy & Innovation. “Just as our recently

launched ‘in-house’ startup Bio-Hybrid GmbH has invigorated our efforts to transform personal mobility, Schaeffler looks forward to connecting with the creative minds within external startups who can provide us fresh perspectives to help us meet the present and future needs of our automotive and industrial customers.”

“The partnership with Schaeffler brings a new perspective to our mobility ecosystem. We look forward to working closely with our new partners and to introduce them to new technology that supports their mission,” says Sobhan Khani, VP of Plug and Play’s IoT, Mobility, and Real Estate & Construction programs.

With over 20 locations worldwide, Plug and Play’s ecosystem will help Schaeffler build on its renowned capacity for in-house innovation – which produced more than 2,400 new patents in 2017 alone – by partnering with external business enterprises and startups to uncover new technologies, products and processes as well as untapped market segments and customers.

Schaeffler’s partnership with Plug and Play is the latest step in the company’s mission to tap into Silicon Valley’s deep reservoir of creative talent and innovative thinkers. Earlier this year, Schaeffler opened a new office in San Jose, California, whose staff has been tasked with fostering new relationships with potential technology partners and local disruptors to advance Schaeffler’s corporate strategy. ACI

ZF Aftermarket expands TRW Corner Module coverage

F Aftermarket enters 2019 with more ‘True Original’ TRW parts with an addition of 676 parts to its Corner Module product group lines. This expansion gives more vehicles access to TRW’s high-quality OE braking, steering and suspension components. The TRW brand added 214 SKUs to the TRW Corner Module product ranges in the last quarter of 2018, including 136 chassis components spanning over 151 million vehicles in operation, 69 suspension components spanning more than 110 million vehicles in operation and 9

braking components spanning over four million vehicles in operation. The new SKUs cover including Honda Odyssey 2017-2005 for control arm and ball joint assembly, Jeep Wrangler 20102007 for suspension components, Honda CR-V 2018-2017, Jaguar F-Type 20182014 and XJ 2018-2016 for brake pad kits. The TRW brand, a leader in automotive technology, is known for its highquality OE standards and safety components. TRW Corner Module components are designed to work

together harmoniously in your vehicle, offering the total package of innovation, safety and quality. “We’re proud of the growth we’ve achieved with the TRW brand and the Corner Module product line over the last year. Our aim is to provide our customers in the automotive aftermarket with the highest quality products possible for a wide range of applications, and this year we’ve successfully expanded even further,” said Brian Rassin, Product Group Manager, ZF Aftermarket. ACI 55 55

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AUTO COMPONENTS INDIA FEBRUARY 2019

INTERNATIONAL

OMRON launches industry’s ﬁrst 2D, visual inspection machine OMRON Corporation has introduced industry’s first ‘VT-M121: 2D dimension and visual inspection machine’ that performs dimension and visual inspection simultaneously to detect scratches and cracks on products. The VT-M121 demonstrates feasible full inspection to meet required quality standards of the automotive industry in full cooperation with SIIX Corporation, which is Japan’s largest provider of Electronics Manufacturing Service (EMS) and works to improve the production quality of electronics components to increase their reliability. Instead of the inspection process of the sampling inspection by operators, VT-M121 enables full inspection automatically

in the production line and contributes to achieving ‘zero defect’ in automotive electronics which is one of the key requisites to maintain high quality and reliability.

rearview mirror, and LED headlamps. However, these high-density and miniaturized automobile electric components require time to conduct their visual inspection.

Along with the progress in the development of automotive technology such as ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System), self-driving, and EVs (Electric Vehicles), globally, the installation rates of important electrical safety components have been increasing, such as – millimetre-wave radar to detect vehicles and pedestrians with wireless connection, electronics mirror mounted as replacement of the current side view mirror & inside

The VT-M121 enables detection of defects like or even more precisely than a human eye by using the sophisticated image-processing system ‘FH series’ with illumination pattern of MDMC Light that can flexibly change the illumination colour and the angle. By the simultaneous dimension and visual inspection, the machine reduces the inspection time and improves the dimension and inspection performance with ‘the repeat accuracy 10 μm’. ACI

Magna, Lyft partnership makes headway

agna, a mobility technology company and one of the world’s largest automotive suppliers, delivered an update on its industry-first multi-year collaboration with Lyft, at the 2019 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The partnership’s team of nearly 300 engineers is co-developing a scalable Autonomous Software Stack and Kit Hardware. In its first year of collaboration, the team has crossed several milestones including the completion of public road testing. That testing included a public autonomous ride-sharing pilot with Level 5 vehicles for Lyft employees. This road test traveled the route between the Level 5 facility in Palo Alto and a Caltrain Station in Northern California.

“We have found a formula that works and it is business-first partnerships like our collaboration with Lyft that will play a key role on the road to a new transportation ecosystem,” said Swamy Kotagiri, Magna Chief Technology Officer. “By jointly funding, developing, and manufacturing autonomous vehicles, we are democratising and accelerating autonomous vehicle development.” Magna and Lyft jointly share created IP and utilize Lyft data to improve systems. In addition to self-driving vehicles that will be deployed on Lyft’s own

The real-time mapping scenarios and data leveraged during this initial pilot has already provided the team with valuable insights as they continue to prepare the technology for broader testing situations. 58 58 AUTO COMPONENTS INDIA FEBRUARY 2019

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ridesharing network in the coming years, Magna has the ability to deploy the technologies across a wide-range of use cases to benefit the entire global mobility ecosystem. “Lyft’s network combined with Magna’s automotive expertise has helped us reach major milestones on an aggressive timeline, which ultimately helps us bring the technology to market faster,” said Lyft Chief Strategy Officer Raj Kapoor. “We look forward to our continued partnership with Magna and what’s to come in 2019.” ACI

RNI No. MAHENG/2014/55824