AUTO COMPONENTS INDIA JANUARY 2023

154

154

Shapoorji Pallonji And Company Private Limited

Shapoorji Pallonji And Company Private Limited

Corporate Office : SP Centre, 41/44 Minoo Desai Marg, Colaba, Mumbai 400 005, India.

Shapoorji Pallonji And Company Private Limited

www.shapoorjipallonji.com

Corporate Office : SP Centre, 41/44 Minoo Desai Marg, Colaba, Mumbai 400 005, India. www.shapoorjipallonji.com Tel +91 22 6749 0000

Corporate Office : SP Centre, 41/44 Minoo Desai Marg, Colaba, Mumbai 400 005, India. www.shapoorjipallonji.com

Tel +91 22 6749 0000

Tel +91 22 6749 0000

Adapting

Cover Story

Aftermarket

Embedded Systems

Where there is hardware there is software.

Assembly and machinelevel programming have been around for years.

Prateek Pardeshi visited a leading aftermarket player to understand the change in approach today.

AUTO COMPONENTS INDIA

608, Trade World, 6th floor, C wing, Kamala Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel (W), Mumbai - 400013, India.

Tel +91 9321546598, Email us at a.bhatia@nextgenpublishing.net

Executive Editor

Ashish Bhatia

H. S. Billimoria, Aspi Bhathena

Correspondent: Prateek Pardeshi

Contributors: Deepti Thore, Sumesh Soman

Asst Art Director

Ajit Manjrekar

Production Supervisor Dinesh Bhajnik

Publisher Marzban Jasoomani

Associate Publisher & General Manager (North & East)

Ellora Dasgupta (Mob No.: +91 987 104 8666)

General Manager – South Girish Shet

Deputy General Manager – North & East Chanchal Arora (Delhi)

Regional Advertising Manager

Raghul Krishnan R (Bengaluru)

Regional Manager

Rajesh Gogate (Mumbai)

Manager Circulation - North and East

Kapil Kaushik (Mob No.:+91 987 320 0589)

Subscription Supervisor

Sachin Kelkar Tel +91 9321546598

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.

608, Trade World, 6th floor, C wing, Kamala Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel (W), Mumbai -400013.

Tel +91 22 9321546598

Next Gen Publishing Pvt. Ltd. Unit No. 109, First Floor, Sushant Plaza, Sushant Lok1, A – Block, Gurgaon, NCR - 122022

Next Gen Publishing Pvt. Ltd. S.No.261/G.L.R.No.5, East Street,Camp Pune - 411001.

Deja Vu

e have moved forward in so many ways but time seems to have stood still. This time around, in 2019, ahead of the 15th Edition of the Auto Expo 2020, the world first heard of a virus creating havoc in China. Be it delegates, exhibitors or us journalists all the stakeholders braved through the expo. Many of us, if you recollect, came back with symptoms passed off as regular viral loads till tests were even put in place. Within months of its first recorded appearance, it began to spread and travelled to India bringing upon the first wave of Covid-19. Locked in not any longer, the rapid spike of cases in China again, in December 2022, three years later, ahead of the 16th Edition of the Auto Expo 2023 gives a sense of deja vu. The world is concerned all over again albeit better prepared. The graduation from pollution masks to surgical masks has been for good and amongst the most reliable weapons of defence after the vaccination in itself. One hopes for the approach to embracing vaccinations and early precautionary measures to hold India in good stead at a time when 10 per cent of the earth stands to get infected. As we embark upon a new year, the sense of greater optimism is fuelled by the growth registered by the components industry on supply to OEMs, exports, imports and the aftermarket in H1FY23. The momentum will help to build upon at the business end. Wishing you a happy, prosperous and healthy new year filled with hope and success from actionable plans. The first issue of 2023 highlights the evolution of the aftermarket and touches upon some of the key trends cited by prominent voices of the industry.

| a.bhatia@nextgenpublishing.net

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., 608, Trade World, 6th floor, C wing, Kamala Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel (W), Mumbai - 400013, India.. Published by Marzban Jasoomani on behalf of Next Gen Publishing Pvt. Ltd., 608, Trade World, 6th floor, C wing, Kamala Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel (W), Mumbai - 400013, India. Printed at Uchitha Graphic Printers Pvt. Ltd., 65, Ideal Industrial Estate, Mathuradas Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel, Mumbai 400013, India., India. Published at Next Gen Publishing Pvt. Ltd., 608, Trade World, 6th floor, C wing, Kamala Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel (W), Mumbai - 400013, India.

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 Ashish Bhatia

Ashish Bhatia Executive Editor

As we embark upon a new year, the sense of greater optimism is fuelled by the growth registered by the components industry on supply to OEMs, exports, imports and the aftermarket in H1FY23.

Newscast First exports dip in 19 months

Based on global cues of high inflation, supply chain bottlenecks, the RussiaUkraine crisis and the tightening of rates, Indian exports have dipped for the first time in 19 months. In October 2022, exports dipped by 16.65 per cent to USD 29.78 billion, according to data released by the commerce department. The

slowdown in imports to their lowest level in eight months in September 2022 has contributed to the widening of the trade deficit to USD 26.91 billion. The trade deficit has remained above the USD 25 billion thresholds for a fifth consecutive month.

According to ICRA Chief Economist, Aditi Nayar, more holidays during the festival

season were also among the reasons for a sequential moderation in exports and imports in October. Over the course of the first seven months of the fiscal year, the growth in exports was 12.55 per cent overall (AprilOctober). Exports reached their highest level in terms of value in March, reaching USD 42 billion. Geopolitical

tensions had an impact on demand after June, which resulted in a gradual decline in outbound shipments.

Borgwarner intends a spin-off

At BorgWarner, the Board believes that a strategic spin-off of the fuel systems and the aftermarket segments would be a great value add for the transformation plans at the company. This move will support the optimisation of the combustion portfolio and aid in the advancement of the electrification journey. The new entity will aggressively pursue growth opportunities in alternative fuels, such as hydrogen, and aftermarket, states Alexis P. Michas, Non-Executive Chairman of the BorgWarner Board of

Directors. The objective is to maximise shareholder value by having two focused and strong companies, each pursuing their respective strategies. In line with the company’s ‘Charging Forward’ strategy,” the intent is expected to support the acceleration of the Electric Vehicle (EV) business. Drawing confidence from four successful acquisitions over the last two years, the team believes that the intended separation would be an important next step to further pivot the EV exposure and advance its larger vision of a clean,

New BorgWarner R&D setup

BorgWarner recently commissioned a 26,500 sq. ft. technical centre in the Kundalahalli suburb of Bengaluru, India.

Federico Morales-Zimmermann, Vice President of Global Product Engineering, Sales and Business Development, at BorgWarner Fuel Systems stated, “We are expanding our local technical base by moving into this new facility. This enables us to improve our already excellent support for local customers and positions us well for the future. ”The new centre will house 250 engineers who will focus on systems software development, fuel handling design and mechanical simulation for internal combustion engines, and hydrogen engine management systems. In addition to meeting the needs of commercial and passenger vehicle OEMs in India, the site will also support BorgWarner’s other global technical centres.

energy-efficient world backed by strong financial. BorgWarner would consist of the company’s current e-Propulsion, Drivetrain and Air Management segments. It will also plan to capitalise on the growth trends in Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) and Hydrogen Injection Systems. The company expects to complete the transaction in late 2023, subject to satisfaction of customary conditions, including among others, final approval from the BorgWarner Board of Directors, among other prerequisites.

Newscast Succession at KSPL

Industry veteran Vikram Kirloskar, Vice Chairman of Toyota Kirloskar Motor and Chairman and Managing Director of Kirloskar Systems Ltd. passed away due to a cardiac arrest late last year. Sending shock waves down the industry, his loss was mourned by many who knew him in both personal and professional capacities. Known for bringing Toyota

to India in the 1990’s he was instrumental to the latter’s journey and milestones in India. Most recently, he

over saw the launch of the next generation Toyota Innova Hycross MPV. The fourth-generation leader at the Kirloskar Group held several important positions including President-SIAM, and at CII and ARAI. He was the fourth-generation leader of the Kirloskar Group and is survived by his wife and daughter. After Mrs Geetanjali Kirloskar took charge as the

Amara Raja expansion plans

new Chairman & Managing Director at KSPL, his daughter Ms.Manasi Tata has been appointed as the Director on the board of KSPL’s JV companies, including Toyota Industries Engine India Pvt. Ltd. (TIEI), Kirloskar Toyota Textile Machinery Pvt. Ltd. (KTTM), Toyota Material Handling India Pvt. Ltd. (TMHIN), and Denso Kirloskar Industries Pvt. Ltd. (DNKI).

The Amara Raja Group has commissioned a new plant in Tenepalli, Chittoor District, Andhra Pradesh. In Andhra Pradesh, the manufacturer has operated for over three decades employing over 15,000 employees,

making it the region’s largest employer. An Rs.250 crore investment at the new, 2.15 lakh sq. ft. facility will pave the way for subsidiary Mangal Industries to serve a wide range of industries with its deep domain expertise in

auto components, metal fabrication, and battery components like specialisations. The work on the new plant will start immediately subject to approvals from the Government of Andhra Pradesh.

Log9 attains AIS-156 certification

Log9 Materials has recently announced it has received Automotive Industry Standards (AIS) 156 (Rev 3, Ph 1) certification for its RpaidX 8000 battery pack. It was specially designed in keeping with the requirements identified for the electric three-wheeler segment crucial for last-mile logistics. The certification

was obtained as a culmination of rigorous, safety testing conducted by the International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT). Commenting on the certification, Dr Akshay Singhal, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, of Log9 Materials said, “We treat the certification as a validation of our technology that we stay

deeply invested in. And we also sincerely appreciate their efforts towards ensuring every EV on the Indian road is safe.”

Notably, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), Government of India, had introduced the AIS-156 standards in the aftermath of several instances of battery-related fire mishaps.

Honda e: swap services kickstart

Honda Power Pack Energy India Private Limited (HEID), Honda Motor Co., Ltd.’s subsidiary for battery swap service, and Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), a joint venture of Government India and the Government of Karnataka, announced the launch of Honda e: swap services at BMRCL Metro stations. HEID was established in November 2021 to begin battery swap service in India, beginning with electric auto rickshaws. HEID’s battery swap service will allow rickshaw drivers to stop by the nearest battery stations, set up across selected cities, and swap out discharged batteries (Honda Mobile Power Pack e:) for fully charged ones. This partnership would accelerate the penetration of e-mobility in the last and fast-mile connectivity and contribute to a cleaner and greener future. HEID’s vision is to create the largest battery-swapping station network

by setting up more than 70 stations in Bengaluru by July 2023. President and CMD, of Honda Power Pack Energy India, Kiyoshi Ito said, “Partnering with BMRCL

Hitesh Garg to lead NXP Semiconductors

Hitesh Garg has been appointed as the India Country Manager by NXP Semiconductors. With over 25 years of experience, Garg will lead the strategic growth plans in India across Bengaluru, Noida, Pune, and Hyderabad. He will also focus on strengthening the links between industry, government and academia. Special attention will be given to developing the startup ecosystem and contributing to the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ programme. He will continue to hold the position of General Manager for Analog Mixed Signal IP (AMSIP). On the appointment, Lars Reger, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, at NXP Semiconductors, said “Garg is a proven transformational leader that will be pivotal to our continued growth. We look forward to benefiting from his decades of industry expertise as we take the next steps to position the company for long-term success.” NXP has also announced a new India Country Council, that will support NXP India and help drive and support growth in the region.

in setting up the Honda e: Swap station network would provide the comfort of cleaner and greener first and last mile connectivity to metro users.”

New leadership at Bridgestone

Parag Satpute, Managing Director at Bridgestone India will take on a new global position at the Bridgestone Solutions Business. He will be based out of Amsterdam, Netherlands. On January 01, 2023, he will renounce his current role as MD. Stefano Sanchini, who succeeds Satpute has accepted the changeover from his role as the Vice President of Region for the Middle East and Africa. He will be based out of Pune and will assume the role of the new MD for Bridgestone India. Stefano joined Bridgestone in 2017 as Sales Director MEA and in 2019 was promoted as Vice President Region MEA.

Apollo Tyres commissions new R&D facility

Apollo Tyres has inaugurated an Advanced Tyre Testing facility at its Global R&D Centre, Asia in Chennai, India. The new facility will help to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the product development cycle for passenger vehicles and two-wheeler tyres, including electric vehicle tyres. The custom-designed Flat-trac machine and Anechoic

Chamber are key features of the Advanced Test facility, which will characterise the performance of tyre dynamics and acoustics. Speaking at the inauguration, Daniele Lorenzetti, Chief Technology Officer, Apollo Tyres Ltd., said “ We will be able to fine-tune the performance of our products by simulating closely to realworld conditions using this

facility. This is aligned with Apollo Tyres’ 2026 vision, of which Technology is a key pillar.” The Flat-trac machine, which is a key component of Advanced Tyre Testing, is

Apollo Tyres appoints Rajasekhara Reddy

Apollo Tyres has appointed Rajasekhara Reddy as the Group Head of the Supply Chain for the Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa (APMEA) region. While providing leadership and direction to the regional SCM function, Rajasekhara would be working with various stakeholders like sales,

marketing, commercial and manufacturing to improve customer service levels, reduce costs and deliver supply chain cross-functional projects. Based out of Apollo Tyres’ corporate headquarters in Gurugram, NCR, Rajasekhara will report to Satish Sharma, President, of Asia Pacific, Middle

used to characterise handling parameters and tyre models, measuring force and moment (F&M) properties of tyres, as per the vehicle’s improved dynamics.

East & Africa (APMEA). Rajasekhara Reddy, Group Head, Supply Chain, SOMES, Apollo Tyres Ltd. expressed, “In addition to the digitalisation of the supply chain, I would also be focusing on the increased usage of environmentally responsible practices within the overall supply chain network.”

Birla Carbon and NREL collaborate

Birla Carbon has partnered with NC State University, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Ensyn. The Battery Innovation Center (BIC) and Yale University will develop and scaleup production of biocrude derived graphite for lithium-ion batteries. These will be known as Biocrude

Derived Anode Material (BDAM). Speaking about this project, Dr Ann Schoeb, Chief Research and Development Officer, of Birla Carbon, said, “With this project, Birla Carbon aims to establish itself as a key player in the energy systems domain by walking a path of sustainability towards producing

these integral materials.” She stated, “As a key player in this collaboration project, Birla Carbon will convert the biocrude-derived coke to batterygrade graphite using a new-to-theworld graphitisation technology, which greatly improves the sustainability of battery materials production.

Newscast / international Schaeffler Group acquires Melior Motion GmbH

The Schaeffler Group acquired Melior Motion GmbH, a manufacturer of precision gearboxes for robotics and automation applications earlier in 2022. Melior Motion GmbH turned Schaeffler Ultra Precision Drives GmbH as of December 01, 2022. The acquisition is aimed at expanding the Industrial division’s precision gearbox portfolio and securing a strategically

strong position in the industrial automation market. At the Hameln site, Schaeffler Ultra Precision Drives GmbH, as part of the Schaeffler Group network of competence, focuses on the development and production of high-performance, lowwear, and durable system components for individual requirements in industrial automation.

BOSCH and MercedesBenz partner on automated parking

Chip-based headlamps

BOSCH and Mercedes-Benz reached an important milestone to bring on road self-driving cars. Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA), Germany, has approved their automated parking systems for commercial use. KBA has approved the system in the APCOA P6 parking garage in Stuttgart. APCOA Parking AG is Europe’s longestestablished full-service parking management company. It is intended that with self-driving cars, drivers will focus on larger tasks on giving up driving and manoeuvring. Commenting on the approval, Dr. Markus Heyn, Member of the BOSCH Board of Management and Chairman of the Mobility Solutions business, said, “The highly automated parking system we’ve developed together with our partner Mercedes-Benz shows just how far we’ve already progressed along this development path. It will be with driverless parking that everyday automated driving will start.”Bosch aims to equip parking garages with the necessary infrastructure and technology on a large scale.

The company has commenced the series production of its ‘Solid State Lighting (SSL) High Definition (HD)’ headlamp at its Lippstadt facility. It is known to have received orders from a leading German car manufacturer. Following these orders, Hella is claimed to have acquired customer projects estimated at a value of Euro 1.5 billion. Commenting on the development, Yves Andres, Managing Director, Lighting at HELLA, “We benefit from the fact that we relied on SSL | HD technology for high-resolution headlamps at an early stage and have consistently driven its development ever since.” Claimed to be a step up from LED Matrix systems, the headlamps can be tuned to switch up to 25,000 pixels per LED.

86%

TRUST

Advertising in traditional media continues to enjoy high trust amongst consumers, with 86%* expressing confidence in print –making it the most trusted medium.

ASCI - ISA Report Findings

*

Upfront | Exclusive The Next Tipping Point On The Horizon

Nirmal K Minda, Chairman and Managing Director, of Uno Minda Group spoke upfront to Ashish Bhatia on the road ahead for component suppliers and the next tipping point on the horizon.

Q. Is the post-pandemic recovery that accounted for a record turnover, sustainable going forward for the tier 1 suppliers like yourself?

A. We faced tough times in the pandemic marred fiscal and now we are seeing a strong recovery. Today, we are not able to deliver vehicles owing to supply chain bottlenecks with issues like the semiconductor shortage and transportation challenges. Availability of the containers was another challenge. We are overcoming these issues much better than before. You must also understand that what has not happened in the industry over the past 40 years will happen over the next 10 years. In this period, as a born optimist, I expect the industry to scale a

I expect the industry to scale a 2-2.5x growth subject to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) also growing at a healthy pace.

convince the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) which is usually a tough ask. In my opinion, component suppliers must work on the core strengths and synergies.

Q. As a Group known for its collaborative

2-2.5x growth subject to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) also growing at a healthy pace. Here the two-wheeler industry is also fast catching up and making for its de growth which should help us move in the right direction.

Q. Your take on the industry staying true to its DNA while exploring newer avenues of growth?

A. The industry as a whole must work to leverage its core. Whatever are the strength areas must be tapped first. At Uno Minda also, we are identifying our core strength areas and areas of synergy. One must diversify only with the blessings of the customers. If the customer comes forward seeking a problem solution or with a joint alliance, this path is more feasible. The Research and Development (R&D) capability must be strong enough to

Nirmal K Minda, Chairman and Managing Director, of Uno Minda Group

Upfront | Exclusive

mindset, how have you and your partners contributed to one other’s success?

A. Both need each other. First of all, you need to trust your partner. It is very important and a testimony to that are JVs that are 30 years old at Uno Minda. They

are recommending we pursue change and both bring their strengths to the table. For example, we bring in the Indian supplier base, the labour, the regulations and administrative ability while they bring in their technical capabilities. They bring in manufacturing capability and we bring in the inherent low-cost Indian manufacturing prowess.

Q. How do you look at the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme impacting these collaborative efforts and joint interests of business?

A. We make our presentations to them to align with our localisation drive, to align with the PLI scheme as a win-win for the stakeholders involved as an example. We make to keep the best interests of our partners and us, alike, in keeping with the needs of the domestic and international markets. If they are exporting, we step in to help reduce their costs for instance.

Q. Your take on the parity in an OEMSupplier agreement today and the need for government intervention?

A. There could be a few instances where the government is required to intervene. It is largely a fair arrangement in keeping with the best interests of all the stakeholders. OEMs provide suppliers with a good opportunity. If you are technically competent to fulfil these requirements you are on board. First, you need to be technically viable for the project and then come to the commercials.

Uno Minda

Q. Your take on the Government not looking at bringing the sector under GST and instead asking suppliers to multiply the turnover to make up for the exclusion?

A. Yes, looks like the government is not willing to consider GST inclusion at the moment. That revenue is being looked at as coming back to us in terms of infrastructure and so on and so forth. The industry has factored it in and continues to contribute. As far as OEMs are concerned, the GST looks at the ecosystem as a chain where everyone benefits. It is only a value addition.

Q. Your outlook for the foreseeable future including the opportunities and adversities?

A. Supply chain bottlenecks, the need for skilled labour and dealing with their poaching from the tech industry which has a similar set of skillsets as their requirements are some of the challenges we need to deal with. Now the tech industry has also taken a hit. We are confident that the industry will tap the diverse set of opportunities coming its way. ACI

At

also, we are identifying our core strength areas and areas of synergy. One must diversify only with the blessings of the customers. If the customer comes forward seeking a problem solution or with a joint alliance, this path is more feasible.

We make to keep the best interests of our partners and us, alike, in keeping with the needs of the domestic and international markets.

Upfront | Exclusive A Components Supplier-led Economy

Pilloo C.Aga – Director of GoldSeal - SaarGummi India Pvt. Ltd., a Joint

Venture of Gold Seal of India & SaarGummi of Germany speaks upfront to Ashish Bhatia on the buoyant sentiment and the bold government.

Q. What is the significance of the supplier industry gathering under one roof and deliberating on key issues after a three-year hiatus in the postpandemic era?

A. The industry congress is the most valuable for our business especially when it is taking place after such a long hiatus. As suppliers, we sense how happy the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) are to meet us in person. You can sense the

optimism and the affinity for the auto components industry. The Government itself is very bullish on the prospects of the industry and its contribution to the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ vision. The growth of the industry in recent quarters and the playout of the ‘China+1’ strategy ought to augur well. We look forward to India ranking third behind the United States and China up from the 10th rank to the fifth rank surpassing the UK as the fifth largest

economy and going beyond in the next five years. It is achievable!

Q. Your take on the similarities between aerospace and the automotive industry. Do you hope to have similar access to advanced technology and greater synergies for a cumulative benefit?

A. You are right there are similarities that need to be leveraged. You must however take into cognisance the higher quantum of investments witnessed in

the aerospace industry in comparison to the automotive industry. The CapEx is much higher in the case of the former. We have in the past and must continue to leverage the innovation and continuous improvements in the aerospace field that are of relevance to our being. The building blocks of the two realms are the same. If the industry can gain access to a relative investment perhaps foreign funding then there is no stopping us.

Q. Your take on the PLI scheme? Is it all-inclusive?

A. We haven’t sought approval under

We look forward to India ranking third behind the United States and China, up from the 10th rank surpassing the UK as the fifth largest economy and going beyond in the next five years. It is achievable!

Upfront | Exclusive

the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme. I don’t know many immediate peers who have taken advantage of the PLI either. It is true that it can be looked at as an investment made now for turning competitive in a five-year horizon. With approvals and investments categorised as Advanced Automotive Technology (AAT), it isn’t all-inclusive. Cracking it is not as easy.

Q. Your take on the level playing field for either party in an OEM-supplier agreement? The government is looking out for the suppliers. A. The Government must be credited

for taking a bold stance on the subject as they have called upon the suppliers to flag any concern areas in the fine print of such agreements. It is perhaps the first time, a tall figure like the Commerce and Industry Minister, Piyush Goyal has voiced it out in public. It is a really bold step for the government that is willing to iron out creases if any. ACI

We have in the past and must continue to leverage the innovation and continuous improvements in the aerospace field that are of relevance to our being. The building blocks of the two realms are the same.

Cover story

Aftermarket Embedded Systems

Where there is hardware there is software. Assembly and machine-level programming have been around for years. Prateek Pardeshi visited a leading aftermarket player to understand the change in approach today.

It is well known how the low-level binary skeleton of Assembly Language Programming (ALP) coexists with Machine Level Language (MLL). The latter converts ALP using an assembler and can be converted vice versa using a disassembler. In layman terms, while MLL programming governs machines the use of ALP is crucial to embedded systems that span across micro-processor-based devices and applications with real-time systems put in place. A leading provider of embedded systems and solutions, Mumbai-based R.B Electronics is no alien to both realms and is well-versed with the modern-day requirements of the automotive industry. With a vision to dedicate its efforts to making electrical components safer, the company can be classified as a third-party supplier of the aftermarket components.

Rambriskh Yadav, the Founder of the company started off his entrepreneurial journey in 1992 with a car radio repair shop back then. The streets in those yesteryears were ruled by the Fiats and Hindustan Motors of the country. Hailing from a generation that witnessed the

@Prateek2101

Prateek Pardeshi

introduction of Maruti Udyog Ltd. vehicles, since the advancement in radios was stalled, he recollects, opting for the electronics industry which according to him was not explored holistically. The transition from cassettes to modern CD/DVD players might have marked the end of an era, but it opened up new avenues for the company, he said. Yadav drew attention to the Mumbai floods of 2006 when many vehicles are known to have been submerged and leading to a high frequency of insurance claims. This also meant that their electronic systems were severely damaged owing to the seepage of rainwater. This inspired Yadav to start his own firm and venture into vehicle interface and embedded systems.

q Early roots

An old hand at embedded systems, the company has been in the automotiveelectronics segment since 1992. Nearly three decades later, Yadav fondly refers to his full-time sub-assembler status akin to a tier 2 vendor for Pune-based van major, Force Motors. Claimed to be a bootstrap company, that specialises in dealing with old car systems and has the capability to carry out upgrades using a universal, digital interface. From the pan India network, their Business-to-Business (B2B) clientele today encompasses primarily of OEM dealerships, distributors, and auto-accessories. The small enterprises encompass the unorganised yet vital cog of the industry. For the B2C base, based on the requirement, the company

cover story

carries out jobs to help deliver a finished product. This in turn needs the intervention of a local technician as the company, for this segment, refrains from working on the vehicle itself. Since then the introduction of subassemblies like the IR-based interface, CANBUS, R.B. Electronics, in 2011, was chosen as the OEM supplier for Force Motors Ltd. when they launched their first SUV ‘Force One’. The company was involved in the sub-assemblies of the steering mounted audio control, and is claimed to have put together an estimated 5,000 units. It is for these reasons that Yadav, till date, reminisces about the good old times and secretly harbours the ambition to turn into a tier supplier again if presented with an opportunity.

q Facilities at the workshop

At R.B. Electronics, the facility is capable of undertaking fundamental electronics and sub-assemblies R&D. It is aligned with the manufacturing setup and the three warehouses in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Having faced the challenges of procuring wiring harnesses, Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) from external vendors and a whole gamut of issues, Yadav wants to get back to manufacturing inhouse, and on scale. The company aspires to manufacture PCB etching, couplers, and wiring for instance. At present, using four machines, R.B. Electronics can carry out jobs like wire crimping, and continuity checks. The latest addition is sourced from Golden Machine Tools, in Hyderabad. It also has a pick-and-place robotic arm used for installing Integrated Chips (ICs). Yadav shared, the arm was imported from the Netherlands back in 2009. Commenting on the facility and regular advancements, he averred, “I use three hours of the day in learning new developments in the industry and to keep myself updated. We further encourage and up skill our employees.”

cover story

however, has remained constant and has always been electronic since its inception according to Yadav. With the transition of many features and automation, the veteran acknowledged the underlying security risks with the growing digitisation per vehicle. He opined, “Digital will never have any security system as such. It will always have an alternative to break the encryption.”

q In the battle of ICE and EV

Yadav echoed the viewpoint of the only distinction between an ICE and an EV being the motors and battery packs replacing the IC engine. They have a

dedicated battery for all other features, such as an electronic seat up and down, EPS operation, etc, he quipped. Compared to ICE, the Engine Control Module (ECM) has changed for EVs, he added. The Battery Control Module (BCM),

The company largely works with chips, and because of the global shortage, had to find alternative means as a work around to deal with the skyrocketing vendor prices. It may have forced us to compromise on the quality, admitted Yadav. The current project for Tata Motors and Mahindra Group dealerships has the company replacing older infotainment systems with new Android OS variants. Furthermore, they are in discussions with an OEM that has raised concerns over the government-imposed speed limiters used in the commercial vehicles segment. Until today, all governors worked on a limiter, which blocked the throttle cable and avoided top-end torque. One of the major disadvantages was that when the vehicles drive on the ghats, they lacked top-end torque and the attempt to overtake with the 80 kmph limit was a trap for casualties, he explained. R.B. Electronics is expected to have been working on a module that will allow the driver to gain the initial pickup and top-end torque while electronically limiting it to 80 kmph in a much-needed breakthrough. On other safety hazards, he spoke of the local technicians resorting to product installations by slitting the wire, using a metal clip or using relays, and fuses.

All of these are temporary solutions that increase the risk of short circuits, vehicle fires, and other mishaps, he explained. “When we slit the wire, we damage the core of the wire, which leads to such mishaps. An introduction to modules and Plug-and-Play (PNP) connectors, which are safe and have fewer mishaps, is another easier way to obtain these customisations,” he concluded. ACI

Wire crimping machine

Wire cutting machine

Upfront | Exclusive Tier Supplier At Heart

Rambriskh Yadav, the Founder of R.B. Electronics spoke upfront to Prateek Pardeshi on creating a business ground up and harbouring ambitions of turning a tier supplier some day.

Q. How did the journey of R.B. Electronics begin? What are the key businesses today including producing finished products or any services?

A. Our journey started as a car radio repair shop back in 1992. Back in the day, there were Fiat and Ambassador cars and Maruti was the latest entrant to the market. There were fewer couplers, only simple wiring was the focus. A few years ahead, the Indian automotive industry saw CD players catch on as a trend. After the CD player, we saw the Mechaless infotainment systems enter which were basically mechanism-less infotainment consoles. This was the tipping point from analogue to digitalisation. Moreover, cutting wires was made difficult as it was an end-to-end coupler. Up until 2005, we only used to repair these, but when a flood struck Mumbai in 2006, many vehicles submerged under water and all electronic instruments stopped working.

Now to repair these, many analogue systems and digital systems didn’t support each other as the signals were different. This is where my inspiration started in developing a protocol changer which we can interface with today. We started developing an IR-based interface, then we switched completely to wire-based communication. In 2007, we started working on CANBUS. Back then, we used to strip the wire and used to join it. In doing so, many vehicles started giving issues such as short circuits. Issues like loose connection led to poor service and rightly so as we were cutting the wires. This is when my focus started on couplers, and we started manufacturing them. For all OEMs,

infotainment is different and couplers are customised only for that particular model. Many customers buy aftermarket infotainment today as the functions offered are much more at a considerate price, which OEMs fail to provide. This is where the need of different couplers is felt. Our main core business is to understand what protocol is the OEM infotainment working on and what protocol the aftermarket unit is taking as the input is our strength. We also

manufacture harnesses to avoid any errors in the vehicle, more like a Plugand-Play (PNP) solution.

Q. The business is working on a finished product or services largely?

A. We come under the finished product and as a third-party provider, we are not an OEM as of now nor do we sell any infotainment system. To connect both worlds, called embedded systems is where we step in. But we are striving

Upfront | Exclusive

Back then we used to strip the wire and used to join it but by doing this many vehicles started facing issues such as short circuits or maybe a loose connection leading to poor service and rightly so as we were cutting the wires.

day updating myself with the latest trends going on. We study the market and try to work on them accordingly. When I learn something new having full-proof knowledge then we pass it on to the employee base.

Q. Give us a sense of your B2B and B2C clientele.

A. We work largely as a B2B setup. Our B2B clientele includes dealers and autoaccessories vendors and distributors pan India. For B2C we can deal with queries and work on them and then we give the finished product. The customer can get it installed by any local technicians, we do not work on the vehicle directly.

Q. Have you recovered fully from the hits to small enterprises?

quarterly basis this fiscal?

hard to become a supplier for an OEM. Until now we have worked as an official supplier for Force Motors. Back then, Force motors had introduced the Force One vehicle, which we manufactured for and were the official supplier for their steering-mounted audio control. We manufactured everything here in India. We manufactured ~5000 units for it.

Q. Is it a boot strapped company?

A. Yes, it is a completely self-funded company, we have in total three warehouses and all are based in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

Q. With the advancement in the industry, how do you cope? How do you up skill your employees?

A. I spend almost three hours of the

A. When demonetisation came in, business took a slight dip but we were not much affected by it. We are better placed today.

Q. Any ill impact of labour migration and other challenges post-Covid-19?

A. We took the Covid-19 era positively, our work was completely stalled, and funds were almost nil. But we learnt a lot of things, for instance, we came up with twothree products for Mahindra and Mahindra and Tata Motors. We made android players for them, for older vehicles which were plying with outdated infotainment systems. We not only updated them but added a few vehicle metrics to improve their functionality. As far as labour migration is concerned none of the employees left us. We didn’t cut salaries and stood by them.

A. In each quarter we are seeing an upward trend of almost 10 per cent. Also, we are doing much better than pre-Covid-19 era. This was made possible by the products we made for OEMs as I mentioned. We make these products for the aftermarket sales and supply them to dealerships and distributors.

Q. Tell us about the assembly language programming used for the business.

A. We only deal with C++ programming language for our requirements.

Q. With OEMs looking at offering a fully built vehicle with extended warranties do you fear a de growth?

A. According to me, all the trends come to the aftermarket first and then OEMs start adopting them. This, in turn, depletes the business of the aftermarket.

Q. How are you impacted by long delivery time lines and bottlenecks like shortage of chips? Before

Q. How have you progressed on a

We update older vehicles with newer technologies. Our main business works on the fact that there are older cars in the market.

Upfront | Exclusive

A. We as a business have faced a lot of issues, many of our vendors had stopped sending chips, or they were selling it at a price which was beyond our budget. With that rate, survival was a challenge. Then we left the older vendor and started working with a few cheaper alternatives in the market. This in turn triggered quality compromise. Now the market is growing and going back to the preCovid-19 levels. We are also moving to turn into a full-time vendor. Our motto is to use automotive-grade chips and parts.

Q. How big is the used car market for your business?

A. Used cars is our main market. We update older vehicles with newer technologies. Our main business works on the fact that there are older cars in the market.

Q. Is working on ICE better or an EV?

A. The EVs which we have today in India, have the same Battery Control Module (BCM). They are still the same, only difference is the engine is replaced with motors and battery pack. For all other features such electronic seat up and down, working of EPS, etc they have

a dedicated battery. In there is room to improve the BCM and working on EVs is much better than ICE. Since the overall performance of an EV increases and the amount of labour needed is less in comparison.

Q. What is the advancement made in the security of vehicles including connected, telematics and ancillaries like wireless and keyless entry systems?

A. Digital will never have any security system as such. It will always have a alternative to break the encryption.

Q. What are the future plans for R. B.

Electronics and the biggest challenges in your opinion?

A. Having faced our set of challenges with vendor procurement, we have a dream to manufacture functions like PCB etching, couplers, wiring etc. inhouse.

Q. What are the products which you manufacture here?

A. We were completely dependent on the out-sourced wiring harness. Now we manufacture it ourselves.

Q. What is the automation scale at the facility?

A. We have two machines to work on the PCB and to work on wiring we have another four machines. We have machines imported from the Netherlands and also from Hyderabad.

Q. India’s aftermarket industry is heavily dependent on China. Do you agree and how can we avoid it?

A. To avoid this over dependence our government needs to work on the electronics industry, also consider supporting the LED manufacturing companies. ACI

Digital will never have any security system as such. It will always have a alternative to break the encryption.

Trending Automotive Safety And Security In The Indian Context - The Myths And Realities

Shinto Joseph, Director – South East Asia Operations at LDRA Technology Pvt. Ltd., an associate of LDRA Ltd. UK. busts the myths and realities around automotive safety and security in the Indian context.

Q. How do you see the 360-degree digitisation trend impacting the automotive industry?

A. The entire design, development, testing, certification, production, distribution, sales, and the aftersales service life cycle is getting digitised. This leads to tremendous cost and time savings when cars are becoming software-defined and no more mechanical. Millions of lines of software code drive modern softwaredefined cars. Modelling, simulation, and test automation tools bring together a distributed engineering workforce from different vendors and work centres across the globe.

Q. How do you see quality, safety and security comparatively evolving in the global automotive industry?

A. The automotive manufacturing process became a classic example of best quality practices globally, with the primary goal - Do it right, always right!

Concepts like Six Sigma to the Spice model changed the dynamics in the automotive industry, reducing the defects in the manufacturing process to

zero, resulting in reduced post-sales complaints and increased customer satisfaction.

The study on accident data of electronics and software-driven systems gave way to a risk-based approach to the systems engineering principles. Automotive functional safety standard ISO 26262 defines four safety integrity levels, from Automotive Safety Integrity Level (ASIL) A to ASIL D. ASIL D is the highest safety level. Once you define a subsystem for a specific safety integrity level, all your design considerations, development, testing, and certification will align with that. This has completely changed the industry. Quality principles will remain, and at the same time, the riskbased approach behind ‘Hazard’ and ‘Threat’ analysis practices for safety

and security will continue to grow. Any OEM who understands this will survive; otherwise, they would be out of business with their mechanical cars very soon.

Q. How is the global regulatory framework evolving in the functional safety and security domain?

A. Even though the work on functional safety standards started much early, we could see off-late the cyber security standards and associated regulations moving at a faster pace. Undoubtedly, pressure from governments worldwide on the national security front added to the accelerated pace of cyber security framework development in the automotive industry. The new UNECE WP.29 cyber security regulatory framework by the UN charter for the European automotive industry will be a game changer. It will kick start in 2023 at the ECU level for new vehicles. As we go forward, existing vehicles and the current architectures will also be covered under it. Initial work started by SAE led to the development of the SAE

J3061 cyber security standard. Later SAE joined hands with ISO, as that would lead to a wider international acceptance. Today we have ISO 21434, the base standard for European WP.29 regulations. Standards and regulations always go hand in hand. We have seen increasing demand from customers in the automotive sector asking for ISO 26262 functional safety compliance, even though it is not a regulatory requirement. But a court case around an accident could change everything. Looking at customer safety, both functional

safety and security should go hand in hand.

Q. What are all the real costs of lower automotive safety standards in the Indian context?

A. Overall, road safety depends primarily on vehicle safety, road safety, and driver behaviour. The one which needs to be addressed is vehicle safety because with anything going wrong with the other two, to some extent, vehicle safety could help you in reducing the accident impact. By lowering vehicle safety, we may achieve better price points and fuel efficiency, but at the cost of human life. We see two types of costs. One is the social cost. When somebody dies, we lose a breadwinner, which affects his family. The second is the economic cost. As per the FICCI India Risk Report, we are losing nearly 2.5 per cent of India’s GDP yearly to road accidents! Both these are high priorities for the government now, and we can expect more necessary policy changes as we go forward.

Q. How far is cyber security important for modern cars?

going to be the focus area, probably even above the safety concerns.

Once you define a subsystem for a specific safety integrity level, all your design considerations, development, testing, and certification will align with that. This has completely changed the industry.

A. With more and more electronics and software getting added to every part of the car, internal and external attack surfaces are increasing. As we know, safety and security are two sides of the same coin. If security is breached, naturally, the car is unsafe. Given the socioeconomic and geopolitical scenarios worldwide, every possibility is there to use vehicles on our roads, even as a weapon. Another important consideration is the privacy aspects of the vehicle data and how far that data is to be shared with local governments and foreign OEMs. For Example, in an Indian context, adding an ISRO NavIC chipset to the car, along with regular GPS for vehicle tracking, is one of the first steps in that direction. So cyber security is

Q. As the Government of India aims to mandate a crash test star rating for vehicles in India, where do you see the Indian automotive industry standing today?

A. Mandatory NCAP star rating for cars is the first step our government could take towards improving overall vehicle safety in our country. However, I believe that the government might ask car manufacturers to declare their star ratings, and we might not enforce that with mandatory levels. It could be left to the customers to decide whether to buy a five-star or even a two-star rated vehicle. But this would influence the mindset of customers while making a purchase decision. Instead of just looking at the price and fuel efficiency, which might have been achieved by overall weight reduction at the cost of safety, customers will start preferring

Shinto Joseph,

Director – South East Asia Operations at LDRA Technology Pvt. Ltd., an associate of LDRA Ltd. UK.

Undoubtedly, pressure from governments worldwide on the national security front added to the accelerated pace of cyber security framework development in the automotive industry. The new UNECE WP.29 cyber security regulatory framework by the UN charter for the European automotive industry will be a game changer.

Trending

five-star rated cars, which come at higher price points.

The trend is already visible, with Indian OEM car sales skyrocketing recently, backed by their safety campaigns. As the market matures, manufacturers will start looking at the functional safety aspects of individual subsystems like air bags, brakes, etc. This would change the overall vehicle safety paradigm in the Indian context. Of course, the regulatory framework and national standards by BIS also need to be evolved over a period. Today we are not that great in that part. Industry and government should work together to make it happen with a staggered approach without hurting the local industry overnight.

Q. In your opinion, what should be done to maintain the overall growth momentum of automotive exports out of India?

A. The automotive industry provides jobs for the masses, not only for engineers, unlike the IT industry. Hence, the growth of the automotive sector is significant for the overall economy, especially from the job creation point of view. Also, the growth in the automotive sector compensated for the dip in export growth in some other industries, showing its importance in bringing forex to our country. We will have to transform our automotive industry in India in line with the 360-degree digitisation trend happening across the globe, where cars are becoming software and no more mechanical ones. We need a complete paradigm shift from top management, skills, and reskilling of existing employees, to capture this new opportunity. But I am sure that our industry will cope, as significant efforts have been made by the stakeholders, backed by government support. Industry bodies, skilling agencies, universities, and regulatory agencies are working towards that. Our national standards

are also talking about aligning with global trends nowadays.

Q. As the global leader in embedded software safety and security, what are the contributions of LDRA in improving the overall ecosystem of automotive safety and security in the Indian context?

A. LDRA comes with more than 45 years of global expertise in the embedded Software, safety, and security market. Our tools are used by our clients to test and validate the code for Quality, Safety and Security. Today, automotive is the most significant market for us as far as growth is concerned, even though our traditional clients are from Aerospace and Defence. After starting our Indian operation in 2010, we have contributed much to developing the overall local ecosystem. Our business grows only when the local ecosystem comes up. Hence, we launched an ecosystem program called Certification Ecosystem Development Program (CEDP) in 2014. It has various components like conferences, academic initiatives, training centres, and consulting and mentoring programs.

We implemented that in the aerospace and defence domain first. We are implementing the same for

the automotive industry today. We want to expand it, backed by the skilling programs through direct physical and virtual training and our skilling partners in the industry and academia. We contribute to developing global standards. We are keen on engaging with the regulatory and national standards bodies to share our expertise. Most global semiconductor players, major automotive OEMs, and tier 1 vendors are our customers today. We thank all the stakeholders for their support and encouragement in our efforts to create a world-class automotive safety and security ecosystem in India. ACI

Shinto Joseph is currently working as Director – South East Asia Operations at LDRA Technology Pvt. Ltd., an associate of LDRA Ltd. UK. He did his B.Tech in Computer Science from TKM College of Engineering, Kerala and MBA in Marketing from School of Business and Management, CHRIST Deemed to be University Bengaluru. With over 25 years of experience handling Embedded Software Life Cycle solutions, he has built many teams and companies in the embedded systems field.

Courtesy - Mobility Engineering.

Automotive Lightweighting Technology Roadmapping - 2030

TECHNOLOGY Trends

TECHNOLOGY Trends

Components under Axial Quasi-Static and Impact Loading,” SAE Technical Paper 2016-01-0395, 2016. S., Deb, A., Kurnool, G., and Chou, C., “Predicthe Behaviors of Adhesively Bonded Steel Hat Components under Axial Impact Loading,” Technical Paper 2017-01-1461, 2017.

prices set to go up as rising lithium ion cell costs weigh in, Economic Times - https://auto. economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/ ev-prices-set-to-go-up-as-rising-lithium-ion-cellcosts-starts-to-weigh-in/88140453

costs-starts-to-weigh-in/88140453

electric vehicles lighter to maximize climate safety benefits, Nature, October 2021 - https:// www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-027608?utm_ medium=affiliate&utm_source=commission_junction&utm_content=en_textlink&utm_campaign=3_ nsn6445_deeplink_PID100041175&CJEVENT=aeabe24386ad11ec81100a1c0a180513

31. Make electric vehicles lighter to maximize climate and safety benefits, Nature, October 2021 - https:// www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-027608?utm_ medium=affiliate&utm_source=commission_junction&utm_content=en_textlink&utm_campaign=3_ nsn6445_deeplink_PID100041175&CJEVENT=aeabe24386ad11ec81100a1c0a180513

Model S weight distribution - https://www. teslarati.com/tesla-model-s-weight/ Reducing Vehicle Weight and Improving U.S. Efficiency Using Integrated ComputaMaterials Engineering - William J. Joost  volume 64, pages1032–1038 (2012) - https://link. springer.com/article/10.1007/s11837-012-0424-z H. Ezzat, N. Bucknor, and M. Verbrugge, OptiBattery Sizing and Vehicle Lightweighting for Extended Range Electric Vehicle (SAE Technical no. 2011-01-1078, 2011).

32. Tesla Model S weight distribution - https://www. teslarati.com/tesla-model-s-weight/

Dr Srinivas Gunti and Dr Shankar Venugopal

33. Reducing Vehicle Weight and Improving U.S. Energy Efficiency Using Integrated Computational Materials Engineering - William J. Joost JOM volume 64, pages1032–1038 (2012) - https://link. springer.com/article/10.1007/s11837-012-0424-z

2021 - https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/electric-supercars-need-lose-weight-power-up-cool-down-2021-09-27/

37. Reduced EV weight and cost predicted by 2030, Geoff Dobson, November 2020 - https://evsandbeyond.co.nz/ reduced-ev-weight-and-cost-predicted-by-2030/ 38. Electric Vehicle Lightweighting 2030, Anthony Schiavo and Chris Robinson - https://www.luxresearchinc.com/ hubfs/2020%20Executive%20Summaries/1%20-%20 2020%20Executive%20Summaries%20-%20Press%20 Versions/Electric%20Vehicle%20Lightweighting%20 2030%20Executive%20Summary%20-%20press.pdf

39. How much copper is in an electric vehicle, Nicholas LePan, November 2018 - https://www.visualcapitalist. com/how-much-copper-is-in-an-electric-vehicle/ 40. “Better” Copper means higher efficiency electric motors, October 2020 - https://www.pnnl.gov/news-media/ better-copper-means-higher-efficiency-electric-motors 41. Volkswagen aims solid state battery production 2025, Jimi Beckwith, June 2018 - https://www.autocar.co.uk/ car-news/new-cars/volkswagen-aims-solid-state-battery-production-2025

39. How much copper is in an electric vehicle, Nicholas LePan, November 2018 - https://www.visualcapitalist. com/how-much-copper-is-in-an-electric-vehicle/

40. “Better” Copper means higher efficiency electric motors, October 2020 - https://www.pnnl.gov/news-media/ better-copper-means-higher-efficiency-electric-motors

41. Volkswagen aims solid state battery production 2025, Jimi Beckwith, June 2018 - https://www.autocar.co.uk/ car-news/new-cars/volkswagen-aims-solid-state-battery-production-2025

42. The batteries of the future are weightless and invisible, Wired, November 2020 - https://www.wired.com/ story/the-batteries-of-the-future-are-weightless-andinvisible/

34. A. Joshi, H. Ezzat, N. Bucknor, and M. Verbrugge, Optimizing Battery Sizing and Vehicle Lightweighting for an Extended Range Electric Vehicle (SAE Technical Paper no. 2011-01-1078, 2011).

road to lightweight batteries, November 2020https://www.arbin.com/the-road-to-lightweight-bat-

supercars need lose weight, power up and cool Nick Carey and Giulio Piovaccari, September

write on the automotive lightweight, technology roadmap, composites, electric vehicles, and optimisation with a long-term view.

35. The road to lightweight batteries, November 2020https://www.arbin.com/the-road-to-lightweight-batteries/

42. The batteries of the future are weightless and invisible, Wired, November 2020 - https://www.wired.com/ story/the-batteries-of-the-future-are-weightless-andinvisible/

43. Will Massless Energy Storage Revolutionize Future Battery Tech?< FutureBridge - https://www.futurebridge.com/uncategorized/will-massless-energy-storage-revolutionize-future-battery-tech/#:~:text=Structural%20batteries%20are%20referred%20 to,weight%20of%20an%20electric%20vehicle

43. Will Massless Energy Storage Revolutionize Future Battery Tech?< FutureBridge - https://www.futurebridge.com/uncategorized/will-massless-energy-storage-revolutionize-future-battery-tech/#:~:text=Structural%20batteries%20are%20referred%20 to,weight%20of%20an%20electric%20vehicle

36. Electric supercars need lose weight, power up and cool down. Nick Carey and Giulio Piovaccari, September

44. https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/understanding-structural-ev-batteries-2021-07-23/

44. https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/understanding-structural-ev-batteries-2021-07-23/

Dr. Ranga Srinivas Gunti is General Manager, Head – Talent Development at Tata Passenger Electric Mobility (TPEM), Tata Motors. He is responsible for creating Talent Development Strategies, frame-works and processes for capability building pertaining to e-mobility. He received Ph.D. from Centre Design and Manufacturing, IISc – Bangalore. resulted in 42 peer reviewed journal/ conference 6 Book Chapters and Two US Patents. He Faculty (Honorary Roles) at IIT Madras Design Department) and Virginia Tech India.

Dr. Ranga Srinivas Gunti is General Manager, Head – Talent Development at Tata Passenger Electric Mobility (TPEM), Tata Motors. He is responsible for creating Talent Development Strategies, frame-works and processes for capability building pertaining to e-mobility. He received Ph.D. from Centre for Product Design and Manufacturing, IISc – Bangalore. His work resulted in 42 peer reviewed journal/ conference publications, 6 Book Chapters and Two US Patents. He is an Adjunct Faculty (Honorary Roles) at IIT Madras (Engineering Design Department) and Virginia Tech India.

Dr. Shankar Venugopal is the Vice President at Mahindra & Mahindra. He leads technology innovation, intellectual property, knowledge management for the automotive and farm Businesses. He holds a doctoral degree in materials science from the Indian Institute of Science. He has 20+ years of industry experience across GE, Dow, Honeywell, Cummins and Mahindra. He holds ten US granted patents and ten Indian patent applications. As the Dean of the Mahindra Technical Academy, Shankar is focused on helping young engineers to build future skills.

The rate at which the number of ground vehicles is increasing will result in substantial environmental pollution, depletion of nonrenewable energy sources and cause sustainability issues. According to a recent study [1], there would be two billion new vehicles reaching roads across the globe by 2040 and this would lead to multiple issues, namely, environmental pollution, energy, infrastructure issues etc. The Indian government came up with stringent emission regulations in the case of ICE platforms and offered subsidies for those who are driving green initiatives (Manufacturing of EVs). The power requirements posed by vehicle acceleration demands, gradeability conditions, and rolling resistance of the wheel are proportional to the vehicle weight and the most fundamental way of improving the vehicle level fuel economy in the case of ICE and range in the case of Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) is by reducing the overall weight. For the automotive OEMs, some of the key drivers for exploring lightweight technologies are: a) Meeting CAFÉ Requirements (ICE Platforms) and ensuring energy efficiency b) Eliminating Range Anxiety in case of e-Mobility

Dr. Shankar Venugopal is the Vice President at Mahindra & Mahindra. He leads technology innovation, intellectual property, knowledge management for the automotive and farm Businesses. He holds a doctoral degree in materials science from the Indian Institute of Science. He has 20+ years of industry experience across GE, Dow, Honeywell, Cummins and Mahindra. He holds ten US granted patents and ten Indian patent applications. As the Dean of the Mahindra Technical Academy, Shankar is focused on helping young engineers to build future skills.

/Dr Ranga Srinivas Gunti /Shankar Venugopal

SYSTEM MG ZS (IC) MG ZS EV VW ID 3

Body 492.18 506.46 600.09 Brakes 47.86 39.06 65.37

Driveline 12.13 15.19 11.27 Electrical 54.38 58.45 74.7

Frame 12.23 15.77 9.38

HV Cooling NA 15.15 27.49

HV System NA 385.16 469.26

HVAC 37.7 18.23 34.57

Seating 62.26 63.15 84.11

Steering 17.03 50.88 17.38 Suspension 208.49 230.71 236.78 Transmission 45.07 39 26.26

Trims Exterior 37.6 58.55 47.24

Trims Interior 77.24 65.23 2 85.1

Vehicle 2.98 7.77 2.86 Exhaust 25.03 NA NA Engine 101.87 NA NA Clutch 10.41 NA NA Fuel 10.43 NA NA

Figure 1. Comparison of Total Weight (Kg) – ZS (IC) Versus ZS EV / VW ID3

c) Sustainability and Reduction of Carbon footprint

As we aim towards a circular economy, lightweight strategies are becoming more important and their objectives are focused on energy efficiency, reducing carbon footprint and improving cost economics and affordability aspects. With the focus on EVs, there will be a lot more demand for improving energy efficiency and reducing costs through lightweighting. Figure 1 shows a comparison of the total weight of the vehicle “while converting an ICE Based to an EV”. It is noted that there would be a 20 per cent increase in vehicle weight while converting the ZS ICE to ZS EV. This increase in weight is due to the addition of high-voltage systems and their cooling systems. This increase in the weight of an EV leads to a significant increase in product cost and range anxiety. There is a strong need to develop an eco-system that assists in developing and implementing lightweight technologies and this requires the creation of a clear-cut lightweighting technology road-map in the context of the Indian eco-system.

q Automotive Lightweighting Roadmap

In order to ensure the eco-system readiness that will assist various OEMs and suppliers to implement their shortterm and long-term product strategies Indian National Academy Engineering (INAE) gave Dr Shankar Venugopal (on of the authors) the opportunity to lead the technology road mapping effort fo automotive lightweighting. A core team was formed and a series of brainstorming sessions were conducted involving Material Scientists, CAE, Design and Manufacturing experts from the Industry, academia and start-ups. Figure 2 shows the snapshot of various organisations participated in the ideation.

q Automotive Lightweighting Strategies

Figure 3 shows various methods of automotive lightweighting: through optimal material selection, design

Special Reads

simplification, Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) and using advanced MDO Based Optimisation and manufacturing methods.

q Material Innovations (Steels, Aluminum Magnesium Alloys and Composites)

Steels

Figure 4 shows how steel manufacturers are evolving and presently we see a lot of research in the area of thirdgeneration steel that can do a trade-off between cost and material properties. There will be a significant increase in the use of ‘Hot stamped steels’ that have the potential to reduce the gauge of the structural members while meeting the crash, durability and NVH requirements.

Aluminium,

Composites

Magnesium Alloys and

Figure 5 shows a study done [2,3,4,5] by the US Department of Energy (DoE) on two different designs (Mach - I and Mach – II). Mach I design made of Aluminium and UHSS realized a weight saving of 23.5 per cent with respect to baseline design (Ford Fusion – 2013) and the Mach 2 design made of Magnesium, Aluminium and Lightweight composites realised a weight saving of 50 per cent. Authors [6,7,8,9] have explained in detail the usage of Ultra High Strength Steels (UHSS), Aluminium and Magnesium Alloys, and Hybrid Composites (CFRP & GFRP), for automotive lightweighting applications. The use of thermoplastic and thermoset plastics for structural applications has been discussed in detail in the literature [10, 11]. Case studies on Powertrain lightweighting are discussed in detail [12, 13].

Design

Minimising the product and part complexity, powertrain downsizing, moving towards composites with a

the addiand their in weight increase in developing developing lightweight techcreation of Technology Indian Road-map eco-system various OEMs their shortstrategies, Engineering Venugopal (one to lead effort for core team brainstorming involving MateManufacacademia the snapparticiStrategies methods of through design Aided Engiadvanced MDO manufacturing Aluminum Composites) steel manupresently area of 3rd trade-off

Special Reads

TECHNOLOGY Trends

single-part construction by eliminating the joineries, optimising the feature content, etc. will help reduce the finished product costs and complexity. Authors [14, 15, 16, 17] explained the design, CAE and Testing aspects of the automotive body systems. Lightweighting can be achieved through cross-sectional optimisation through fundamental design calculations considering crash, durability and NVH requirements. The use of advanced Topology and Topometric Optimisation Methods [18] will assist in achieving significant weight reduction of vehicle structures.

CAE, Optimization and ICME

Advanced CAE methodologies [19,20,21,22,23] and Multidisciplinary Multi-objective Design Optimisation (MMDO) procedures can be used for lightweighting automotive structures. AI and Reduced Order Modeling (ROM) based optimisation methodologies will assist in “quickly solving” full vehicle finite element models that involve a large number of design variables, multiple performance constraints and multi-objective optimisation requirements. Figure 6 shows three different ‘Finite Element Models’ that were created to validate various Design Verification Plans ( DVPs ) pertaining to durability, NVH and crash safety.

Integrated Computational Materials Engineering:

There is a need for integrating atomic/ molecular scale models, micro and macro scale models and the full vehicle finite element models in order to improve the fidelity, prediction accuracy, optimisation capabilities and credibility of the numerical models. Figure 7 shows a 10-stage process (Courtesy: Hexagon) that integrates models at different scales, material libraries and manufacturing data threads [24]

Manufacturing

Figure 4. Steel Manufacturers Technology Road-map

between cost and the material properties. There will be a significant increase in the use of “Hot stamped steels” that have a potential to reduce the gauge of the structural members while meeting the crash, durability and NVH requirements.

Selection of the right manufacturing method and fabrication procedure is

Figure 2. Brainstorming and Idea Generation Partners

Figure 3. Automotive Lightweighting – Enabling Technologies

in the literature [10, 11]. Case-studies on Powertrain lightweigting are discussed in-detail [12, 13].

Design

Minimizing the product and part-complexity, powertrain down-

Numerical Models. Figure 7 shows a Ten Stage process (Courtesy: Hexagon) that integrates models at different scales, material libraries and manufacturing data threads [24]

Manufacturing

Selection of right manufacturing method and fabrication procedure is very critical for achieving Lightweighting. Authors [25] explained in-detail the

Special Reads

5(a) 5(b)

very critical for achieving lightweighting. Authors [25] explained in detail the manufacturing aspects of lightweight alloys. Based on cost optimisation, certain components can be made by joining hot stamped and hot rolled steels using different welding techniques. For the part with increased complexity, the castings process would be recommended, in some cases, extrusions will be more economical and use advanced joining methods like friction stir welding, Self-Piercing Riveting (SPR ) used for integrating dissimilar metals, Laser Welding Blanks [26], adhesively bonded joining technologies and modelling methodologies [27,28,29], and additive manufacturing technologies, will assist significantly. Good quality resin that can sustain 150 degrees Celsius are imported and there is a need for developing these systems in India. The recycling ecosystem of carbon cycle composites is to be developed in India.

56 SEPTEMBER 2022

l Long development times to introduce new lightweight materials.

l Commercial feasibility.

l High life-cycle costs (Manufacturing Phase for advanced materials – Al, Mg and Carbon Fiber)

l Complex joining technologies

l HPRTM and CRTM are currently being imported and there is a need for investing in these technologies and indigenous.

l Availability of quality suppliers and scalability

l Need OEM support to try out these materials on few parts (Proof Of Concepts)

l Investment in die design and manufacturing

q Key – challenges in implementing lightweight technologies: Manufacturing Perspective

BEVs

The demand from users for long driving range makes it necessary to use bulky batteries and as a result, the current generation of BEVs are heavier than their ICE counterparts. Initially, the EV

battery was expensive, but the lithiumion battery price has been reduced by 90 per cent over the last decade [30]. And their energy density has more than tripled in the last two decades. Most EV battery technology developments have focused on increasing the distance an electric car can travel on a single charge and boosting the car’s power. For example, when Nissan brought to market a long-range version of its flagship Leaf electrical vehicle, they demonstrated triple the range (364 km) and double the horsepower (214 hp). But its weight has grown, too, by 14 per cent (more by 550 kg). The electric version of Ford’s F-150 weighs 700 kg more while in the case of Kona, the weight increase is about 300 kg [31]. In the case of Tesla’s Model S, we realise that the battery pack contributes to ~ 29 per cent of the vehicle weight (followed by the electric motor which contributes about 23 per cent) [32].

MOBILITY ENGINEERING

In ICE vehicles, a 10 per cent weight reduction yields about six-eight per cent fuel efficiency improvement. A

Figure 6. Finite Element Models for Evaluating Durability, Crash and NVH Performance

Figure 5. Ford Fusion Platform 5(a) Mach1 Design; 5(b) Mach 2 Design; Image Source - [4, 5]

Requires a change in the line and the infrastructure

q Lightweighting of Battery Electric Vehicles: Technology Strategy

weigh more

q Can we improve the driving range without increasing the battery capacity?

Special Reads

10 per cent weight reduction for an electric vehicle can improve the electric range by 13.7 per cent. Reducing the weight of an EV allows the vehicle designer to improve electric range (while maintaining battery size/cost), reduce battery size/cost (while maintaining electric range), or find the optimal balance to meet consumer expectations in the specific vehicle segment [33, 34].

manufacturing aspects for lightweight alloys. Based on cost optimization, certain components can be made by joining hot stamped and hot rolled steels using different welding techniques, for part with increased complexity, castings process would be recommended, in some cases extrusions will be more economical and advanced joining methods like friction stir welding, Self-piercing riveting ( SPR ) used for integrating dissimilar metals, Laser Welding Blanks[26], adhesive bonded joining technologies and modeling methodologies[27,28,29], and additive manufacturing technologies, will assist in significant. Good quality resin that can sustain 150 degrees Celsius are imported and there is a need for developing these systems in India. Re-cycling eco-system of carbon cycle composites is to be developed in India.

• Investment on Die Design and Manufacturing

• Requires Change in the Line and the Infrastructure Lightweighting of Battery Electric Vehicles: Technology Strategy

BEVs weigh more

more economic sense to simply increase pack size. While there is some variation, the cost of lightweighting in 2030 must be less than USD five per kilogram saved on average [38].

q Copper in EVs

Key – challenges in implementing lightweight technologies: Manufacturing Perspective

• Long development times to introduce new lightweight materials

• Commercial Feasibility

• High Life-Cycle Costs (Manufacturing Phase for advanced materials – Al, Mg and Carbon Fiber)

• Complex Joining Technologies

Scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability (LBF) have reduced electric vehicle battery weight by changing the material of the battery pack casing. Using fibre-plastic composites to replace the aluminium casing of current battery packs, they were able to reduce the weight of the battery pack by 40 per cent [35]. Innovations that reduce the weight of the electric motor include Axial flux electric motors (flat, round devices) that are lighter and more efficient than conventional cylindrical ‘radial flux’ motors. Because the motor is more efficient, it can extend the range of an electric vehicle up to seven per cent, or because it uses less power it allows carmakers to take out some of the heavy batteries and reduce their vehicle’s weight by up to 10 per cent, he added [36].

• HPRTM and CRTM are currently being imported and there is a need for investing on these technologies and indigenous.

Whenever we want to improve the driving range of EVs, we have two choices – either increase the battery capacity or reduce the weight of the

• Availability of Quality Suppliers and Scalability

vehicle. If we decide to reduce the weight of an EV by introducing a new material, design or manufacturing process, then we should also consider the additional cost incurred by introducing these changes. A rule of thumb for EV designers can be that a one-kilogram weight reduction should not cost more than USD five. Lux Research predicts that battery pack energy densities will increase by about 15 per cent over the next decade. This increased energy density can be used to either extend a vehicle’s range by keeping battery size the same or reduce cost by shrinking the size of the battery pack. Lux determined that for lightweighting to be a costeffective solution against batteries by 2030, it will need to cost, on average, less than USD five per kilogram of weight saved [37]. For each BEV, Lux Research modelled two scenarios – optimising for range or optimising for cost. For each scenario, they calculated the cost of adding one kilometre of range via increased pack size versus the amount of weight reduction needed to increase the range by one kilometre. By comparing the cost of increasing range with batteries to the weight reduction needed to make the same change, they calculated a lightweighting benchmark. Lightweighting must cost less than this benchmark to be an effective way to increase range – otherwise, it will make

• Need OEMs support to try-out these materials on few parts (Proof Of Concepts)

The demand from users for long driving range make it necessary to use bulky batteries and as a result, the current generation of BEVs are heavier than their internal combustion engine (ICE) counterparts. Initially the EV battery was expensive, but the lithium-ion battery price has reduced by 90% over the last decade [30]. And their energy density has more than tripled in the last two decades. Most EV battery technology developments have focused on increasing the distance an electric car can travel in a single charge, and to boost the car’s power. For example, when Nissan brought to market a long-range version of its flagship Leaf electrical vehicle, they demonstrated triple the range (364 km) and double the horsepower (214 hp). But its weight has grown, too, by 14% (more by 550 kg). The electric version of Ford’s F-150 weighs 700 kg more while in the case of Kona, the weight increase is about 300 kg [31]. In the case of Tesla’s Model S, we realize that the battery pack contributes to ~ 29% of the vehicle weight (followed by the electric motor that contributes about 23%) [32]. Can we improve the driving range without increasing the battery capacity ?

A teardown analysis of the Chevy Volt (EV) Vs VW Golf (ICE) revealed that the electric Bolt uses 80 per cent more copper than the Golf. Most of this extra copper is used in the electric motor of the EV. The copper coil in EV’s drive motor converts electrical energy (provided by the battery) into mechanical energy (required by the wheels). Typical EV motors can use more than a mile of copper wire in their stator windings. Copper wires are also used to connect various electronic components and the battery pack [39]. Researchers, from the US Government’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), have developed a process that, they say, can boost the conductivity of copper wire by about five per cent, thus either improving the efficiencies of electric equipment such as motors or reducing their weight while operating with the same efficiency. They have teamed up with General Motors to test the improved copper wire in components for vehicle motors. The improved performance of higher conductivity copper, achieved by adding graphene,

In ICE vehicles, a 10% Wt. reduction yields about 6-8 % fuel efficiency improvement. A 10% weight reduction for an electric vehicle can improve electric range by 13.7%. Reducing the weight of an EV allows the vehicle designer

Figure 7. Ten Stage Process of ICME (Courtesy: Hexagon)

in turn are inserted into a large pack that is nestled between the frame rails of its new Hummer EV. Tesla Motors has designed a structural pack for its Model Y that does away with modules, bonding the large-format cylindrical battery cells together with structural adhesive and sandwiching them between two metal plates, which in turn are connected to the front and rear cast-metal structures of the vehicle [44]. Figure 8 shows the lightweighting technology strategy of a BEV platform.

forms. The proposed short-term and long-term Lightweighting Strategy will enable the OEMs to deliver their product strategy. Achieving a 15% weight reduction in the production vehicles by 2025 and 30% weight reduction by 2030 w.r.t the baseline designs, through multi-material solution, advanced CAE based optimization and manufacturing methods can be a meaningful and achievable target.

Special Reads

range by 14 per cent. He hailed Tesla’s structural battery as a “revolution” in engineering [42]. Structural batteries are referred to as ‘Massless’ energy storage since, in essence, the battery’s weight significantly reduces when it becomes part of the loadbearing structure. Research too has proved that this type of multifunctional battery could considerably reduce the weight of an electric vehicle. Researchers from the Chalmers University of Technology have designed a structural battery that performs ten times better than its peers. A structural battery contains carbon fibre that serves simultaneously as a conductor, an electrode, and a loadbearing material. Chalmers university’s latest research breakthrough paves the way for essentially ‘Massless’ energy storage in electric vehicles and other battery-powered applications [43].

• Inorder to achieve the shortterm objective of 15% Lightweighting by 2025 – government of India, OEMs, Suppliers and Academic institutions to come together to deliver vehicle level Proof of Concept by developing a Lightweight Passenger Car Platform (ICE and EV). Mode of collaborations would be through – Significant Research grants budgeted by Ministry of Heavy Industry, Department of Energy and OEMs.

General Motors uses the nested doll approach for its Ultium battery packs, mounting thin metal pouch-type cells into hard metal modules or ‘cans’ which in turn are inserted into a large pack that is nestled between the frame rails of its new Hummer EV. Tesla Motors has designed a structural pack for its Model Y that does away with modules, bonding the large-format cylindrical battery cells together with structural adhesive and sandwiching them between two metal plates, which in turn are connected to the front and rear cast-metal structures of the vehicle [44]. Figure 8 shows the lightweighting technology strategy of a BEV platform.

• To achieve the Long Term objective of 30 % Lightweighting by 2030 - government of India , OEMs, Suppliers and Academic Institutions to write research proposals in the area of ICME, Additive Manufacturing, Advanced Lightweight materials, Advanced Computational Engineering, Optimization Methods and Advanced Manufacturing methods. Government

could be a disruptive approach to lightweighting and/or increasing efficiencies for any electric motor or wireless vehicle charging system [40].

MOBILITY ENGINEERING

q Solid State Battery

The difference between a traditional battery and a solid-state battery is in its electrolyte: by using a solid material for the electrolyte between the anode and the cathode, battery makers can increase energy density (and therefore driving range), or reduce battery weight. Solidstate battery technology, Volkswagen

claims, would more than double the capacity compared with the brand’s current lithium-ion batteries, boosting the range of the e-Golf from its current 186 miles (NEDC) to 466 miles [41].

q Structural Battery

Elon Musk announced, during Tesla’s Battery Day, that its battery pack will be integrated into the chassis so that it provides mechanical support in addition to energy, a design that Musk claimed will reduce the car’s weight by 10 per cent and improve the

SEPTEMBER 2022 59

Figure 9 shows, how the Lightweighting road-map is aligned to the manufacturing of ICE Based EV Platforms and the Born Electric Platforms. The proposed short-term and long-term lightweighting strategy will enable the OEMs to deliver

Figure 8. Technology Strategy for Lightweighting the Battery Electric Vehicle

Figure 9. Short-term and Long-term Lightweighting Technology Road Map

q Short-term and longterm lightweighting technology roadmap: Proposed recommendations:

Special Reads

their product strategy. Achieving a 15 per cent weight reduction in the production vehicles by 2025 and a 30 per cent weight reduction by 2030 w.r.t the baseline designs, through the multi-material solutions, advanced CAE-based optimisation and manufacturing methods can be a meaningful and achievable target.

l In order to achieve the short-term objective of 15 per cent lightweighting by 2025 – the government of India, OEMs, suppliers and academic institutions to come together to deliver vehicle-level Proof of Concept by developing a Lightweight Passenger Car Platform (ICE and EV). The mode of collaboration would be through – Significant Research grants budgeted by the Ministry of Heavy Industry, Department of Energy and OEMs.

l To achieve the long-term objective of 30 per cent lightweighting by 2030 - government of India, OEMs, suppliers and academic institutions to write research proposals in the area of ICME, additive manufacturing, advanced lightweight materials, advanced computational engineering, optimisation methods and advanced manufacturing methods. Government to promote automotive manufacturers, suppliers, start-ups and academic institutions by providing huge incentives, subsidies and tax concessions on automotive lightweighting projects. OEMs to have special research and innovation cross-functional teams, new roles to be created, and capability-building initiatives in the area of automotive lightweighting to be accelerated.

q Acknowledgements

Authors thank the Indian National Academy of Engineering (INAE) for giving Dr Shankar Venugopal (one of the authors) the opportunity to lead the technology road mapping effort for automotive lightweighting. Both the authors (SV and SG) thank Mr Ram Sitaraman (Mahindra Research Valley) and Dr K Anand (Deakin University India Center) for being part of the core team and driving the ideation with experts across industry, academia and government. The authors thank the experts from IIT Madras, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Kanpur, IISc Bangalore, Deakin University (Australia), Sabic, Dow Chemicals, JSW Steel, Hindalco Steel, Tata Steel, Mahindra & Mahindra, Ashok Leyland, Tata Motors, CSIR labs etc for participating in the brainstorming sessions and sharing their rich insights.

The authors thank Ashutosh Joshi (Knowledge Resource Centre, Mahindra Research Valley) for supporting them with all the technical reference documents.

q References

1. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/04/the-number-of-cars-worldwide-isset-to-double-by-2040.

2. Schutte, C., “DOE Focuses on Developing Materials to Improve Vehicle Efficiency,” SAE Technical Paper 2015-01-0405, 2015, doi:10.4271/2015-01-0405.

3. Skszek, T., Zaluzec, M., Conklin, J., and Wagner, D., “MMLV: Project Overview,” SAE Technical Paper 2015- 01-0407, 2015, doi:10.4271/2015-01-0407.

4. https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2015/06/f24/lm072 skszek_2015_o.pdf.

5. https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2014/07/f17/lm088_skszek_2014_o.pdf.

6. C.D. Horvath, Chapter 2 - Advanced steels for lightweight automotive structures, Materials, Design and Manufacturing for Lightweight Vehicles (Second Edition), Woodhead Publishing in Materials, 2021, Pages 39-95.

7. Alejandro Graf, Materials, Design and Manufacturing for Lightweight Vehicles (Second Edition), Chapter 3 - Aluminum alloys for lightweight automotive structures, Pages 97-123.

8. B.R.Powell, P.E.Krajewski, A.A.Luo, Chapter 4 - Magnesium alloys for lightweight powertrains and automotive structures, Materials, Design and Manufacturing for Lightweight Vehicles (Second Edition), 2021.

9. Maki, C., Byrd, K., McKeough, B., Rentschler, R. et al., “MMLV: Aluminum Cylinder Block with Bulkhead Inserts and Aluminum Alloy Connecting Rod,” SAE Technical Paper 2015-01-1238, 2015, doi:10.4271/2015-01-1238.

10. P.K. Mallick, Chapter 5 - Thermoplastics and thermoplastic–matrix composites for lightweight automotive structures, Materials, Design and Manufacturing for Lightweight Vehicles (Second Edition), 2021, Pages 187-228.

11. P.K. Mallick, Chapter 6 - Thermoset matrix composites for lightweight automotive structures, Materials, Design and Manufacturing for Lightweight Vehicles (Second Edition), 2021, Pages 229-263.

12. Corey, N., Madin, M., and Williams, R., “MMLV: Carbon Fiber Composite Engine Parts,” SAE Technical Paper 2015-01- 1239, 2015, doi:10.4271/2015-01-1239.

13. Kearns, J., Park, S., Sabo, J., and Milacic, D., “MMLV: Automatic Transmission Lightweighting,” SAE Technical Paper 2015-01-1240, 2015, doi:10.4271/2015-01-1240.

14. Bolar, N., Buchler, T., Li, A., and Wallace, J., “MMLV: Vehicle Durability Design, Simulation and Testing,” SAE Technical Paper 2015-01-1613, 2015, doi:10.4271/201501-1613.

15. Conklin, J., Beals, R., and Brown, Z., “BIW Design and CAE,” SAE Technical Paper 2015-01-0408, 2015, doi:10.4271/2015-01-0408.

16. Plourde, L., Azzouz, M., Wallace, J., and Chellman, M., “MMLV: Door Design and Component Testing,” SAE Technical Paper 2015-01-0409, 2015, doi:10.4271/2015-010409.

17. Jaranson, J. and Ahmed, M., “MMLV: Lightweight Interior Systems Design,” SAE Technical Paper 2015-01-1236, 2015, doi:10.4271/2015-01-1236.

18. Juan Pablo Leiva, Brian C. Watson and Iku Kosaka, A Comparative Study of Topology and Topometry Structural Optimization Methods Within the Genesis Software, 7th World Congresses of Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization COEX Seoul, 21 May –25 May 2007, Korea.

19. P.K. Mallick, Chapter 10 - Designing lightweight vehicle body, Pages 405-432.

20. A. Deb, Chapter 11 - Crashworthiness design issues for lightweight vehicles, Materials, Design and Manufacturing for Lightweight Vehicles, Pages 433-470.

21. Experimental NVH Studies on Electric Powered and IC Engine Powered Passenger Vehicles – A Comparative Study for NVH Target Setting,”, R. S. Gunti, M. Bodla and S. Venugopal, 2019 IEEE Transportation Electrification Conference (ITEC-India), 2019.

22. Sairam Peddi, Raghu V. Prakash, Srinivas Gunti, Kanugula Raghu,

EQUIVALENT ENERGY ABSORPTION (EEA) - A METHODOLOGY

FOR IMPROVED AUTOMOTIVE CRASH & SAFETY DESIGN, Proceedings of the ASME 2021, International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, IMECE2021, November 1-5, 2021.

23. G.R. Srinivas, A. Deb, R. Sanketh, N.K. Gupta, An Enhanced Methodology for Lightweighting a Vehicle Design Considering Front Crashworthiness and Pedestrian Impact Safety Requirements, Procedia Engineering, Volume 173, 2017, Pages 623-630, ISSN 1877-7058.

24. https://www.e-xstream.com/flipbook/icme-for beginners/ index.html?mkt_tok=MDc1LVdZVi02MjMAAAGG7vp19xjf0ooNNkfc8cs8mfNHYlAX- 3f49h-O2IQlBzB1BFDsMoGeoeYK8shweKb3Ztz JKe6r_qpYbjIH6O1IksUmXgw7o_X9MBJU6QW_D3E#p=20.

25. G.T. Kridli, P.A. Friedman and J.M. Boileau, Chapter 7Manufacturing processes for light alloys, Materials, Design and Manufacturing for Lightweight Vehicles, Pages 267-320.

26. https://www.automotivemanufacturingsolutions. com/voice/ multi-part-integration-optimising-vehicle-structures/42553.article.

27. P.K. Mallick, Materials, Design and Manufacturing for Lightweight Vehicles, Chapter 8 - Joining for lightweight vehicles, Materials, Design and Manufacturing for Lightweight Vehicles, Pages 321-371.

28. Deb, A., Chou, C., Srinivas, G., Gowda, S. et al., “Behavior of Adhesively Bonded Steel Double Hat-Section Components under Axial Quasi-Static and Impact Loading,” SAE Technical Paper 2016-010395, 2016.

29. Gowda, S., Deb, A., Kurnool, G., and Chou, C., “Prediction of the Behaviors of Adhesively Bonded Steel Hat Section Components under Axial Impact Loading,” SAE Technical Paper 2017-01-1461, 2017.

30. EV prices set to go up as rising lithium-ion cell costs start to weigh in, Economic Times - https://auto. economictimes.indiatimes. com/news/industry/ ev-prices-set-to-go-up-as-rising-lithium-ioncellcosts-starts-to-weigh-in/88140453.

31. Make electric vehicles lighter to maximize climate and safety benefits, Nature, October 2021 - https://www.nature.com/articles/ d41586-021-027608?utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=commission_ junction&utm_content=en_textlink&utm_campaign=3_nsn6445_ deeplink_PID100041175&CJEVENT=aeabe24386ad11ec81100a1c 0a180513.

32. Tesla Model S weight distribution - https://www.teslarati.com/ tesla-model-s-weight/

33. Reducing Vehicle Weight and Improving U.S. Energy Efficiency

Dr Ranga Srinivas Gunti is General Manager, Head – Talent Development at Tata Passenger Electric Mobility (TPEM), Tata Motors. He is responsible for creating Talent Development Strategies, frameworks and processes for capability building pertaining to e-mobility. He received PhD from the Centre for Product Design and Manufacturing, IISc – Bangalore. His work resulted in 42 peer-reviewed journal/ conference publications, 6 Book Chapters and two US Patents. He is an Adjunct Faculty (Honorary Roles) at IIT Madras (Engineering Design Department) and Virginia Tech India.

Special Reads

Using Integrated Computational Materials Engineering - William J. Joost - JOM volume 64, pages1032–1038 (2012) - https://link. springer. com/article/10.1007/s11837-012-0424-z.

34. A. Joshi, H. Ezzat, N. Bucknor, and M. Verbrugge, Optimizing Battery Sizing and Vehicle Lightweighting for an Extended Range Electric Vehicle (SAE Technical Paper no. 2011-01-1078, 2011).

35. The road to lightweight batteries, November 2020 - https://www. arbin.com/the-road-to-lightweight-batteries/

36. Electric supercars need to lose weight, power up and cool down. Nick Carey and Giulio Piovaccari, September - https://www.reuters. com/business/autos-transportation/electric-supercars-need-loseweight-power-up-cool down-2021-09-27/

37. Reduced EV weight and cost predicted by 2030, Geoff Dobson, November 2020 - https://evsandbeyond.co.nz/ reduced-ev-weightand-cost-predicted-by-2030/

38. Electric Vehicle Lightweighting 2030, Anthony Schiavo and Chris Robinson - https://www.luxresearchinc.com/hubfs/2020%20 Executive%20Summaries/1%20-%20 2020%20Executive%2 Summaries%20-%20Press%20 Versions/Electric%20Vehicle%20 Lightweighting%20 2030%20Executive%20Summary%20-%20press. pdf.

39. How much copper is in an electric vehicle, Nicholas LePan, November 2018 - https://www.visualcapitalist.com/how-muchcopper-is-in-an-electric-vehicle/

40. “Better” Copper means higher efficiency electric motors, October 2020 - https://www.pnnl.gov/news-media/ better-copper-meanshigher-efficiency-electric-motors.

41. Volkswagen aims solid state battery production 2025, Jimi Beckwith, June 2018 - https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/ volkswagen-aims-solid-state-battery-production-2025.

42. The batteries of the future are weightless and invisible, Wired, November 2020 - https://www.wired.com/story/the-batteries-of-thefuture-are-weightless-andinvisible/

43. Will Massless Energy Storage Revolutionize Future Battery Tech?< FutureBridge - https://www.futurebridge.com/uncategorized/ will-massless-energy-storage-revolutionize-future-battery-tech/#:~:text=Structural%20batteries%20are%20referred%20 to,weight%20 of%20an%20electric%20vehicle.

44. https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation understanding-structural-ev-bat - teries-2021-07-23/ ACI

Dr Shankar Venugopal is the Vice President at Mahindra & Mahindra. He leads technology innovation, intellectual property, and knowledge management for the automotive and farm Businesses. He holds a doctoral degree in materials science from the Indian Institute of Science. He has 20+ years of industry experience across GE, Dow, Honeywell, Cummins and Mahindra. He holds 10 US-granted patents and 10 Indian patent applications. As the Dean of the Mahindra Technical Academy, Shankar is focused on helping young engineers to build future skills.

Courtesy Mobility Engineering

Kranti