China's tech giants, Xiaomi and Huawei, are making significant strides in the EV sector. These companies are combining data and artificial intelligence to redefine the future of mobility. Chinese electronics manufacturer Xiaomi plans to deliver its first electric vehicle in China on March 28, three years after the company first pitched its idea for a battery-powered sports car. Now, premium car manufacturers in the US and Germany will have to deal with another competitor from the Far East. The new vehicle is called the SU7, with SU standing for "speed ultra." The car needs just 2.78 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 100 kph (0-60 mph). The top speed is 265 kph. The maximum range with a fully charged battery is specified by the manufacturer as 800 kilometers (500 miles). The base price of the SU7 is around €33,000 ($36,000), making the SU7's comparable with a Tesla model 3, and only around a third of the price of Porsche's Taycan. Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun has his sight set on competitors from the US and Germany. "We don't want compromise or mediocrity," Lei said. "We want to build a dream car that stands up to Tesla and Porsche." From smartphones to cars China has long been the world's largest manufacturer of electric cars. E-mobility would be unimaginable without innovations from Chinese companies, this includes many electronics companies that were not originally focused on the automotive industry. Xiaomi mainly produces so-called intelligent household appliances with web functions, such as door sensors or rice cookers that send notifications to one's cell phone when the rice is ready. In Europe, Xiaomi is primarily known for its smartphones, just like the other telecommunications supplier Huawei, which has been launching its e-SUVs under the name AITO in China since 2021. Electronics companies trying to cross over into car making is not limited to China. The Californian company Apple also had the idea of producing cars 14 years ago. However, at the end of February 2024, the iPhone manufacturer from Cupertino announced that the "Apple Car" project had finally been discontinued. The company is said to have invested a total of $10 billion. China's dominant automobile market China is the largest and fastest growing car market in the world. Germany's major car manufacturers sold around one in three cars worldwide in 2023. But their market position is now being challenged by domestic e-car manufacturers.  "China leads the global supply chain for lithium-ion batteries," said Bernd Diepenseifen, partner at the consulting firm KPMG. In terms of battery production, industrial innovation and sales, China is clearly number one on the scale of competitiveness. "Asian suppliers have a dominant position here, at least for the time being," he added. And for German car makers, things are not moving in the right direction. "The production of raw materials is certainly not a field in which German suppliers are sensibly looking for opportunities, nor is battery production," said Diepenseifen. The high standards China's car makers are aiming for became even more clear at the Geneva International Motor Show in February. Not a single car manufacturer from Germany was present, but there were plenty from China. Exhibition vehicles demonstrated a new generation of connected cars, with entertainment packages integrating audio and video streaming services, and navigation that indicates with a countdown when the next traffic light turns green. China builds a new generation of cars China's automobile industry today is looking at cars more than as a mere means of transportation. Cars are more than just an engine plus gearbox, and e-mobility is not just a chassis with a socket. China is thinking ahead with emphasis on automated driving and artificial intelligence, an environmentally friendly transportation concept and technological leadership in industrial production. This is why electronics and telecommunications giants like Huawei and Xiaomi are positioning themselves in this competitive market. "Currently, cars are 'mobile data centers'," said Xiaomi boss Lei. "The automotive industry of the future will produce advanced and connected 'smart spaces'." Chinese EV maker NIO has called its cars a "living room on wheels." At the IAA 2023 motor show in Munich, Wan Gang, China's former research minister, enthused that electric cars could be used to store energy in the power grid when charging and discharging. A data-driven future "For production and the vehicle of the future, 'smart' is the next big step," said Jürgen Unser, who was President of Audi China until January 2024. This includes smart cars, smart production and smart infrastructure. Production will soon be controlled by data and artificial intelligence. "It is very important for our society, including in Germany, that we become much more open in the way we handle and use data," he added. Compared to other countries, Chinese drivers are not sensitive to the collection of private data. By using data, the innovative digital industry is then able to develop algorithms for the application of artificial intelligence to develop tools in the future. "Artificial intelligence will contribute to our progress and prosperity," Unser said. "We need to be fast, open and flexible." However, the data collected must also be exchanged in a regulated manner. In 2018, the German government and China signed a joint declaration of intent for automated and connected driving. According to the document, both countries want to create and develop "non-discriminatory multilateral standards and requirements for data access and storage, data transmission and IT security (cybersecurity) in the field of automated and connected driving and the associated infrastructure." But the reality of sharing data across borders is far more complicated. According to the EU Commission, many EU companies are complaining about difficulties in using industrial data from their subsidiaries in China. Foreign investors must operate their data centers in China which are usually decoupled from the database or cloud service of the parent company. China's data and cyber security regulations are "a problem" for European industry, according to reports from Brussels. The transfer of data out of China requires state approval from the cyber supervisory authority CAC, which wants to check all exports of "important data." The German government is also aware of the high hurdles. Federal Digital Minister Volker Wissing emphasized the need for free data transfer at the German-Chinese intergovernmental consultations in 2023. The EU and China are currently negotiating uniform industry standards for information and communication technologies (ICT) in the interests of borderless data regulation. They are still looking for common ground.  

The US company says it successfully completed the first powered flight of its Talon-A hypersonic vehicle, landing it safely in water. It did not give exact details but said speeds were "approaching Mach 5." Private company Stratolaunch said late on Saturday that it tested its Talon-A hypersonic vehicle successfully, publishing a short video of its release and the start of its flight.  "Today was a great day for the Stratolaunch team. I am extremely proud of their perserverance to reach this point," company President Zachary Krevor said in the statement.  The company said the primary targets of Saturday's flight had been "accomplishing safe air-launch release of the TA-1 vehicle, engine ignition, acceleration, sustained climb in altitude, and a controlled water landing."  It released a video showing the first few seconds of the test off the coast of California. The massive six-engined twin-fuselaged carrier Roc released the Talon from the mounting in the middle of its wing, it dropped a short distance before the engine fired and it flew ahead. Hypersonic weapons and defenses in development The flight concluded with a controlled landing in water. Though the TA-1 is not reusable, the company said new models designed for reuse after runway landings are in development. "While I can't share the specific altitude and speed TA-1 reached," Krevin said, "we reached high supersonic speeds approaching Mach 5 and a great amount of data at an incredible value to our customers."  Defense contractors in several countries are hoping to capitalize on the shift both towards hypersonic weapons and also to the development of new systems designed to detect and defend against them.  Stratolaunch said it hoped the TA-1 vehicle's development would be complete this year and noted work had begun on two newer models.  Hypersonic weapons tend to be defined as ones that travel in Earth's upper atmosphere at more than five times the speed of sound (Mach 5, equivalent to roughly 1.7 kilometers or just over 1 mile per second). 

India, on April 2, again sent out a message to the world about how its space programme was growing by leaps and bounds. Projected as a step towards developing its own ‘space shuttle’, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) successfully conducted the Reusable Launch Vehicle Autonomous Landing Mission (RLV LEX) at the Aeronautical Test Range in Chitradurga, Karnataka. With this, ISRO will enter into direct competition with American spacecraft company SpaceX, the only entity operating reusable space vehicles. The Elon Musk-owned SpaceX’s Falcon 9 is the world’s first orbital class reusable rocket. It can carry crew and payloads into the Earth’s orbit and beyond. ISRO’s RLV took off at 7:10 am on April 2 by a Chinook helicopter of the Indian Air Force (IAF) as an under-slung load and flew to a height of 4.5 km. The IAF team that participated in the RLV LEX mission was headed by a woman officer—a flight test engineer. In a first in the world, a winged body has been carried to an altitude of 4.5 km by helicopter and released for an autonomous landing on a runway. According to ISRO, the RLV is essentially a space plane with a low lift-to-drag ratio, requiring an approach at high glide angles that necessitated landing at high velocities of 350 kmph. However, aerospace engineers say the project is at an early stage. Even NASA took close to two decades to launch the world’s first space shuttle Columbia in April 1981. While describing ISRO’s effort as an overall good attempt, an aerospace scientist said the landing on the ground was a bit harsh and its speed was very high, which is why it crossed the runway of 2.5 km despite having a parachute. He said the RLV needed to be fine-tuned a bit to meet expectations. The autonomous landing was carried out under the exact conditions of a space re-entry vehicle’s landing—high speed, unmanned, precise landing from the same return path. Landing parameters, such as ground relative velocity, sink rate of landing gears, and precise body rates as might be experienced by an orbital re-entry space vehicle in its return path, were achieved, said ISRO. “With LEX, the dream of an Indian Reusable Launch Vehicle comes one step closer to reality,” ISRO said in a statement. According to ISRO, it had first demonstrated the re-entry of its winged vehicle RLV in the HEX mission in May 2016. In the HEX mission, the vehicle had landed on a hypothetical runway over the Bay of Bengal. Precise landing on a runway was not included then. The LEX mission achieved the final approach phase that coincided with the re-entry return flight path, exhibiting an autonomous, high-speed (350 kmph) landing. The LEX began with an integrated navigation test in 2019 and followed multiple engineering model trials and captive phase tests over the years. Source: India Today

Seven people, including a tribal elder and his two brothers, were killed after their vehicle was sprayed with bullets in Balochistan’s Zhob district on Thursday. Levies officials said the incident happened in the Khurlam area of Murgha Kibzai, some 80 kilometres from Zhob town. Officials said Ahmed Khan Kibzai was travelling in his vehicle along with his two brothers and some other people. When they reached Khurlam, located close to the Pakistan-Afghan border, unidentified shooters hiding in nearby mountains opened fire on the vehicle using automatic weapons. Seven people died on the spot, while one person was injured. “The victims tried to escape from the vehicle but were not given a chance to save their lives,” a senior Levies official said, adding that the bodies of Mr Kibzai and his two brothers were charred after the vehicle later caught fire due to firing. Levies officials rushed to the site after receiving information about the incident and shifted the bodies and injured to the district hospital in Zhob. “We have received seven bodies and one injured in the hospital,” hospital sources said, adding that all victims died of multiple bullet injuries. The cause of the killing was not immediately known, and the authorities were investigating the incident. However, officials said that Ahmed Khan Kibzai was wanted in many cases by the Levies Force and was an absconder. He also had tribal enmity. Six other victims were identified as Wahid Khan Kibzai, Abdul Manan Kibzai, Naik Mohammad Badeenzai, Sultan Khan Badeenzai, Fazal Rehman Kibzai and Najibuddin Kibzai. The man injured in the incident was identified as Jalal Khan. Source: Dawn

Australia unveiled its sub-drone prototype to support underwater surveillance and mine warfare capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region. The unveiled UUV is a Dive-Large Displacement (Dive-LD) vehicle that will increase Australia’s capabilities to tackle the enemies in Indo-Pacific waters, and even provide assistance in case of United States intervention in the clash, according to Asia Times an English-language pan-Asia digital news platform. There are plans to create an armed version of the UUV named Ghost Shark. The report by Gabriel Honrada in the Asia Times said that this vehicle will be developed by Australia under a US$100 million partnership with Anduril Australia, the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and the Defense Science and Technology Group state agency. The project is under Australia’s Extra Large Autonomous Undersea Vehicle (XL-AUV) program aiming to produce an affordable autonomous underwater vehicle to serve both military and non-military purposes. The partnership for the production of Ghost Shark is intended to deliver the production model for the combat Ghost Shark by 2025, according to the report by Honrada. Honrada quoted RAN Rear Admiral Peter Quinn in The Warzone report “Due to its modular and multi-role nature, our adversaries will need to assume that their every move in the maritime domain is subject to our surveillance and that every XL-AUV is capable of deploying a wide range of effects — including lethal ones,”. Further according to Quinn, Australia’s recently released Robotics, Autonomous Systems and Artificial Intelligence (RAS-AI) strategy include “the rapid development of combat-ready prototypes to accelerate operational deployment of game-changing capabilities such as Ghost Shark.”. Such an addition to the navel capabilities of Australia will prove beneficial in case proliferation of sea mines in the Indo-Pacific Region. In a 2020 report from Sea Power Soundings, Alia Huberman mentions that sea mines will be increasingly prevalent in the Indo-Pacific as more regional states implement their own anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) capabilities. Further, Huberman says that carefully placed mines in the Indo-Pacific region can channel enemy forces into a kill zone. It can also be used to slow them down so that, backup can be provided. Similarly, India is also trying to gather naval warfare capabilities to counter any possible war-like situations. The fifth submarine of the Project – 75, Kalvari Class submarines, Yard 11879 was delivered to the Indian Navy on December 20. Project – 75 includes the indigenous construction of six submarines of Scorpene design. These submarines are being constructed at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) Mumbai, under collaboration with M/s Naval Group, France. Launched on 12 November 20, Vagir commenced the sea trials on 01 February, 2022. It is a matter of great pride that she has completed all major trials including the weapon and sensor trials in the shortest time compared to the earlier submarines. Submarine construction is an intricate activity as the difficulty is compounded when all equipment are required to be miniaturised and are subject to stringent quality requirements. Construction of these submarines in an Indian yard is another step towards ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ and enhances self-confidence in this field, a notable achievement is that this is the third submarine delivered to the Indian Navy in a span of 24 months. The submarine would shortly be commissioned into the Indian Navy and enhance the Indian Navy’s capability.  Source: ANI

The domestic electric vehicle industry will cross sales of 10 million vehicles by 2030, with an overall adoption rate of more than 30 per cent across different vehicle categories, says a study. According to a study by Arthur D Little released on Thursday, EV adoption for passenger vehicles is likely to be just 10 per cent by the end of the period, amounting to a strikingly small 5 per cent of total EV sales. The study titled, 'Unlocking India's electric mobility potential' noted that to attain more than 30 per cent EV adoption, India will require approximately 800 GWh of batteries by 2030. To meet this rising demand, India is accelerating plans to manufacture Lithium-ion cells within the country, anticipating USD 2.3 billion in government subsidies and more than USD 7.5 billion in investment potential, it said. In terms of investment, given Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflow of nearly USD 6 billion in 2021, India's EV industry could attract further foreign investments of about USD 20 billion by 2030, to fuel the country's economic growth and help achieve required scale in this industry, as per the study.   "Despite the obstacles, India is one of the largest markets for EVs in Asia behind only China and surprisingly, ahead of Japan. "We can build on this position by acting to support product innovation, create reliable charging infrastructure, and provide subsidies to buyers and additional incentives to startups involved in battery R&D, among others," said Barnik Chitran Maitra, Managing Partner and CEO, India & South Asia at Arthur D Little. If India achieves its true EV potential of 50 per cent electrification, every 10th EV sold globally could be manufactured in India, making India a global EV powerhouse, he said. In the recent past, government support and investments made by auto-incumbents in the EV ecosystem have also bolstered private equity (PE) and venture capitalists (VC) confidence in the domestic EV space, as per the study. The study cites several factors for the low adoption of passenger EVs in the country including higher upfront costs compared to traditional vehicles, lack of models, dearth of charging infrastructure, low consumer confidence in the product driven primarily by range anxiety, exacerbated by product safety mishaps. It recommends that the private sector and the government should work together to remove the said barriers, and help India lift its EV game. Given India's massive scale as a market for vehicles in general, there is immense scope for EV demand as well, the study noted, adding, increasing awareness of environmental benefits has further prompted innovation from the private sector and support from the government in the form of its flagship FAME-II policy, which is aimed at boosting EV adoption. "We believe that India is well-positioned to make this transition. The solutions are evident, and the environment is conducive. With the needed impetus, India can achieve its aspiration of becoming one of the world's leaders in e-mobility," said Fabian Sempf, Principal and India Head of Automotive at Arthur D Little. The study further noted that besides the benefits of a cleaner environment, India's import bill is also expected to come down by almost USD 14 billion in 2030 itself. Besides, the adoption of EVs is expected to create 10 million new jobs in India by 2030, in turn boosting economic growth of the country, said the report. The report was launched in the presence of auto industry veteran and former MD and CEO Mahindra & Mahindra; Pawan Goenka, Mahesh Babu, CEO India and COO, Switch Mobility; Chetan Maini, Co-Founder and Chairman, Sun Mobility; Balbir Singh Dhillon, Head, Audi India; and Mr. Rajan Wadhera, Former President, SIAM, and Senior Advisor, Mahindra & Mahindra.   Source: The Economic Times

Toyota Motor Corp plans to make India a manufacturing hub for electric vehicle parts to meet demand there as well as for export to Japan and some ASEAN countries, a senior company executive told Reuters. The carmaker plans to start by producing e-drives or electric powertrain parts used by different electric vehicle types, including battery EVs, plug-in hybrids and other hybrid models, Vikram Gulati, executive vice president at Toyota  Kirloskar  NSE -4.67 % Motor said. "The aspiration is to make India the manufacturing hub for cleaner technologies. This is about creating the building blocks," Gulati said. He did not name the countries in ASEAN, or the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, that Toyota would export to. The move follows the company's recent announcement that it will invest 48 billion rupees ($621 million) in India to localise the supply chain for EVs, and is also part of its broader 2050 carbon-neutrality goals. It also comes as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government is offering companies billions of dollars in incentives to build EVs and their parts locally. The bulk of the investment in India will be made by Toyota's local unit, Toyota Kirloskar Motor and Toyota Kirloskar Auto Parts (TKAP), a joint venture of Toyota Motor Corp, Aisin Seiki Co and Kirloskar Systems, the company said on Saturday. The world's biggest carmaker said in December it plans to invest $70 billion to electrify its automobiles by 2030, including developing battery EVs as it plays catch-up with global automakers investing billions of dollars in the shift to cleaner vehicles. In India, however, Toyota is more focussed on launching its hybrid models first, which it believes are better suited to the country's aim of reducing dependence on fossil fuels and carbon emissions. Gulati said this would also address varying consumer needs and enable "a faster transition towards an electrified future". Building out the supply chain early will help Toyota become competitive in terms of volume and price in India, Gulati said. Toyota expects this to enable a "faster and smoother" shift for the Indian auto industry to electric-vehicle technology, he added. Source: Economic Times  

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has provided Taka 15 crore for the healthcare services of the country's common people, cancelling the allocation of vehicle procurement for her office.   "In fiscal year 2021-2022, Taka 15 crore was allotted for the procurement of motor vehicles of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). But, the money has been given back to spend in the healthcare services of the people at the directives of the Prime Minister," said PM's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim.   He said the premier is giving utmost importance to public health in the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. So, she cancelled the allocation of vehicle procurement and directed the authorities concerned to spend this money in the public health services, he added.   To ensure the healthcare services for the people during this Coronavirus period, the premier has taken many steps, including recruitment of doctors and health workers, enhancing health infrastructure and equipment facilities, increasing ICUs and hospital capacity, providing incentives for health workers and free Covid-19 vaccines for the country's people, said Ihsanul Karim.    Sheikh Hasina has kept special allocation for the public health services. "In addition to these regular arrangements, many more people will be benefited as the money allotted for PMO's vehicle procurement would be spent in the healthcare services," he said.    PMO's Director General (administration) Mohd Ahsan Kibria Siddiqui on Sunday sent a letter to the authorities concerned to executive the directives of the Prime Minister.    In this regard, Siddiqui said the Prime Minister has set a precedent of frugality giving Taka 15 crore allotted for vehicles procurement for her office to the healthcare services. Source: BSS AH

Worldwide group vehicle deliveries of Germany's largest car manufacturer Volkswagen rose by 5.1 percent in November year-on-year, it announced on Friday. In November, the car maker delivered 988,800 vehicles to its customers globally and managed to grow its market share in all key regions, according to Volkswagen. Volkswagen noted that vehicle deliveries in the Asia-Pacific region also grew, which led to a "significant rise in the group's market share." The "positive development" in the Asia-Pacific region had been driven by Volkswagen's largest single market China, which grew "markedly" by 5.1 percent to a total of 419,700 cars, according to the company. With 13.7 percent, Volkswagen recorded a "significant growth" in vehicle deliveries in the United States, making it the fastest growing market in November with a total of 56,800 vehicles delivered. Vehicle deliveries in Volkswagen domestic market also increased strongly by 9.1 percent -- selling 116,500 units in November. Globally, the German car marker's core brand Volkswagen delivered 3.9 percent more passenger cars in November year-on-year while commercial vehicles by Volkswagen recorded a strong decrease of 16.5 percent. Volkswagen subsidiary and truck and bus manufacturer Scania had to take heavy losses in November as well, decreasing by 26 percent year-on-year. Vehicle deliveries by luxury sports car manufacturer Porsche, on the other hand, recorded the highest growth rates of all Volkswagen subsidiaries and increased by more than 30 percent compared to November 2018. Source: Xinhua/UNB AH

The High Court has ordered to form at least a 15-member independent and impartial investigation committee comprising experts to conduct survey of internal and external fitness of mass transport to check road accident in the country. As well as the court also sought list of vehicles without fitness to the committee within three months.   A High Court bench of Justice Mainul Islam Chowdhury and Justice Md. Ashraful Kamal delivered the verdict with ruling while hearing a primary writ on Tuesday. Six defendants including Road Transport and Bridges Secretary, Home Secretary, BRTA Chairman and Inspector General of Police were asked to reply the ruling. Supreme Court lawyer Tanvir Ahmed filed the writ on July 26 seeking direction to form expert committee for vehicle fitness survey upholding the information of ongoing road accidents in the country. Tanvir Ahmed himself took part in the hearing. He was accompanied by lawyer Abdullah Abu Sayeed. Assistant Attorney General Purabi Rani Sharma and Purabi Saha stood for the state. In the ruling it was asked to know why failure of the defendants to ensure motor vehicles supervising and fitness will not be declared contravening to the law. It also wants to know why not direction would be given to prevent unfit vehicles plying on roads. Confirming the matter lawyer Tanvir Ahmed said, a team comprising experts of at least 15 members will conduct internal and external survey of mass transport that ply on the different roads of the country.   AH