L-R: Vivek Srivatsa, Chief Commercial Officer, Tata Passenger Electric Mobility; Anand Kulkarni, Chief Products Officer, Head of HV Programs and Customer Service, Tata Passenger Electric Mobility and Shailesh Chandra, MD, Tata Passenger Electric Mobility and Tata Motors Passenger Vehicle.

When Tata Motors launched the Harrier.ev, it wasn’t just introducing another electric vehicle — it was signalling a shift in India’s premium electric vehicle landscape. Based on Tata’s Gen 2 EV (acti.ev+) architecture, the Harrier.ev blends familiarity with futuristic design, making electrification a natural progression rather than a disruptive leap.

Interestingly, the company is providing a lifetime warranty on the battery for the first vehicle owners, applicable only to private owners. 

Anand Kulkarni, Chief Product Officer, Tata Passenger Electric Mobility, told Motoring Trends, “We have said that our Gen 2 approach is basically a pure EV approach. Much the same way, the acti.ev+, in fact, we have taken that architecture further ahead on the Harrier.ev to make sure that you can get the seating comfort of a regular SUV without any compromise on the battery or powertrain.”

While rivals explore born-electric platforms from scratch, Tata’s strategy with the Harrier.ev is different – marrying known aesthetics with a ground-up EV design. That’s not just a technical decision, but as Kulkarni stated, it’s rooted in customer behaviour.

“There is a section of people who are saying, who want the comfort and the familiarity of the product that they are using. So we have ​made a product that retains that familiarity, while giving them the benefits of electrification,” Kulkarni explained.

The Harrier.ev isn’t just about powertrains and batteries – it’s about creating a ‘third space.’ With features like a 14.5-inch Neo QLED screen and Dolby audio, Tata wants the Harrier.ev to be as comfortable and connected as a living room.

“You have office, you have home, and everything in between is where you spend a lot of time in the car. People expect it to be comfortable, convenient, connected and safe,” Kulkarni said.

Even as the EV market rapidly matures, Tata remains mindful of long-term viability. Decisions around battery size, AWD vs FWD configurations, and software-driven features were all taken with a delicate balance of affordability and future-readiness in mind.

“We worked with two sizes of batteries. This was about making the right choices,” said Kulkarni, noting how Tata’s dual-battery strategy is now industry standard.

As Kulkarni explained, For Tata, the Harrier.ev is more than a product – it's a culmination of years of foresight, strategic evolution and a deep understanding of the Indian consumer. It’s a vehicle that reflects not just where the market is headed, but how Tata Motors is determined to lead it there.

A new Ferrari from the One-Off series – a part of the Special Projects programme – was unveiled recently at the Ferrari Racing Days in the Circuit of the Americas. It is called the HC25 and designed by the Ferrari Centro Stile under the direction of Flavio Manzoni. 
A mid-rear internal combustion engine V8 model that has been derived from the F8 Spider, the HC25 is part of the most exclusive segment of the range – a collection of unique cars – that are sketched and then built according to the wishes of a single client, who reaches the pinnacle of personalisation offered by the Prancing Horse. 
The main distinguishing feature of the HC25 lies in its ambition to reinterpret the forms and aesthetic codes of Ferrari’s mid‑rear‑engine spiders with a bold, forward-looking perspective. 
Developed on the F8 Spider platform – the last open‑top Prancing Horse model to feature the non‑hybrid turbo V8 in a mid‑rear position – it stands markedly apart from it. The styling of the HC25 remains voluptuous and sensual, expressing around the wheels the muscularity typical of Ferrari models, almost echoing the aesthetic language of the F80. 
This One-Off supercar can be seen as an ideal bridge, concluding on one hand the story of the iconic mid‑rear‑engine V8 platform and projecting itself into the futuristic path Ferrari has taken with its flagship models on the other hand. The futuristic path includes models like the Ferrari 12Cilindri and F80. 
The forms of such machines are pure and simple. They are defined by vertical flanks bordered by sharp crests, cleanly carved lines and geometric rhythms that harmonise with the natural sensuality created by Ferrari’s signature surface transitions across the car’s volumes. 
The HC25 is characterised by a strong graphic identity: the dual-volume structure creates an interplay in which the front and rear appear as two distinct bodies, joined by a wrapping, highly three‑dimensional central band. This element appears as a functional black ribbon incorporating essential thermal-management components, including air intakes for the radiators and heat extraction for the powertrain – the true heart of the car.
The design of the HC25 is powerful and assertive. The side view gains momentum from the arrow-shaped movement of the band, which runs from the base of the rear wheels towards the front, then curves vertically over the door up to the sculpted handle, before sweeping back and merging into the rear screen. 
This movement is designed to emphasise the rear muscles, almost pushing visually towards the front and shifting the cabin volume dynamically forward. The door handle is not immediately recognisable as such, as it is integrated into a long blade milled from solid aluminium, which stretches like a bridge between the two sides of the bodyshell, themselves separated by the central black ribbon.

The proportions of the HC25 have been refined to minimise the visual impact of the glazing and to lower the perceived shoulder line that shapes the car’s silhouette. The lighting units blend seamlessly into the design. 
At the front, the headlamp has been created specifically for this car, using modules never before featured on any Ferrari, so as to achieve a very slim lens with a central indentation that perfectly mirrors the split design of the rear lights. The DRLs (Daytime Running Lights) here adopt for the first time a vertical arrangement, exploiting the leading edge of the front wings to create a distinctive boomerang shape. 
By contrasting glossy and matt surfaces, an ideal interplay has been created between the car body – finished in matt Moonlight Grey to give solidity and fullness to the forms – and the glossy black band running through it, generating a bold, decisive contrast. 
The yellow accents of the Ferrari logos and the brake callipers are echoed in the cabin, where the same dialogue appears between the sophisticated grey of the technical fabric and the yellow graphics that recall the boomerang shapes seen both on the flanks and in the DRLs. 
The wheels feature a distinctive and daring design: the five‑spoke configuration highlights the diamond-finished outer rim, with a double recessed groove on the outer channel that visually enlarges the wheel itself. The spokes, slender and dynamic, are finished in dark tones to emphasise the diameter. 
 

Vietnamese automotive company VinFast has announced the signing of Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with 29 aftersales partners during its Global Business Conference held between 4 May and 10 May 2026.

The event gathered over 200 investors and partners from North America, Europe, the Middle East, India, Indonesia, the Philippines and Kazakhstan to discuss the company’s international service expansion.

The MoUs outline plans for international partners to establish electric vehicle (EV) service workshops that adhere to VinFast’s global standards. To maintain service quality, VinFast intends to provide standardised technician training, certification programmes and operating procedures. The company is also developing a parts supply network with a target of delivering common spare parts within 24 hours in major markets.

The automaker is building on its domestic aftersales foundation in Vietnam, where it operated nearly 400 workshops by the end of 2025. This contributed to a total global network of nearly 800 facilities at that time.

For 2026, the company aims to expand its global reach to more than 1,100 service workshops. This network will be implemented through several models, including – dealerships for retail customers, services for fleet and transportation business clients and partnerships with third-party local service workshops.

The expansion strategy includes specific support policies such as repair time commitments in Vietnam and the provision of replacement vehicles in international markets. VinFast also provides ongoing technical support, battery inspections and software updates for its customers.

Bui Viet Hung, Deputy CEO of Global Aftersales at VinFast, said, “Our goal is not simply to expand the network, but to build a customer-centric aftersales ecosystem that delivers an outstanding experience on a global scale. Through partnerships with experienced local operators and the application of VinFast’s global standards, we aim to provide aftersales services that are exceptional, responsive, and reliable”.

In addition to maintenance services, VinFast is collaborating with partners like V-Green to develop a global charging system. The company aims to establish more than 1.5 million charging ports worldwide to provide a comprehensive ownership experience for international EV users.

Mumbai-headquartered automotive major Tata Motors is upbeat on FY2027. The company reported revenue of INR 3,355 billion, down 9 percent YoY in FY2026, as compared to INR 3,660 billion a year ago. The profit before tax saw a decline of 13 percent at INR 2,333 billion, as against INR 3,142 billion last year.

The impact was primarily on the back of several headwinds at Jaguar Land Rover, including cyber incidents, tariffs, China's luxury tax, VME pressures and adverse commodities. The Consolidated Net Debt stood at INR 307 billion, on account of adverse free cash flows primarily owing to production stoppages at JLR.

However, Tata Motors management is quite optimistic about transitioning into the new fiscal year. Shailesh Chandra, Managing Director & CEO, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles, outlined a ‘stay the course’ philosophy backed by aggressive technological pivots. Despite macroeconomic volatility, the company is doubling down on its multi-powertrain strategy to insulate itself from global commodity shocks.

While FY2026 was a year of ‘outperformance’ (15 percent growth), Chandra has set a realistic yet ambitious floor for the mid-term.

"We are confident growth can be over 10 percent for FY2027. There is no question about changing the long-term plan. Unless there is a significant geopolitical impact on petrol and diesel prices that may have a 1-2 percent plus or minus effect on new car sales, we remain on track," Chandra stated.

Perhaps the most significant outlook provided was the expected reversal of the traditional cost structure. Chandra views the rising cost of Internal Combustion Engines (ICE) as an inevitability that will eventually make EVs the more profitable segment.

Interestingly, for Tata Motors’ alternative energy fuel mix (electric and CNG) now already accounts for 43 percent of passenger vehicle sales.

"ICE is going to be inflationary in the future," Chandra predicted. "Cost on the EV side has been disinflationary. If not equal, it will be better than ICE. We are not that concerned on profitability being impacted badly; there can be some pressure in the short-term, but it maybe for completely different reasons," he responded on the demand in the upcoming few months.

The automaker is also ramping up production to meet demand and expects to build on the strong momentum of H2 FY2026, and continue to deliver profitable and industry-beating growth in FY2027, supported by a robust demand pipeline, planned pipeline of new products and established multi-powertrain strategy.

By December 2026 or early CY2027, Tata Motors plans to enter the Flex-Fuel arena with at least one product to align with evolving government mandates.

"As far as Tata Motors is concerned, we are comfortable in terms of technology readiness," Chandra noted. "By end-December 2026 or early next year, we expect our first Flex-Fuel vehicle to be introduced. We are currently in discussion with the government through SIAM for E25 readiness."

Maruti Suzuki India Limited has crossed a new threshold in its environmental logistics strategy, having now sent more than three million vehicles across the country by rail. The carmaker views this cumulative figure as proof of its deepening commitment to reducing emissions through supply chain innovation.

The share of trains in the company’s outbound vehicle movement has grown from just five percent in the 2014-15 fiscal year to 26.5 percent in 2025-26. The journey from two million to three million rail dispatches took only 21 months, setting a company record for the fastest addition of one million units moved by train.

Two of Maruti Suzuki’s manufacturing hubs, at Hansalpur and Manesar, are equipped with in-plant railway sidings, a distinction held by no other passenger vehicle maker in India. These facilities were built under the national PM GatiShakti master plan. The Hansalpur siding became operational in March 2023 and received a virtual inauguration from Prime Minister Narendra Modi a year later. In February 2026, it earned global recognition as the first modal shift transport project registered under Verra’s carbon standards. The Manesar siding, the largest of its kind in the country, saw its first train flagged off in June 2025 by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini.

With a combined annual capacity of 750,000 vehicles, the two sidings feed a hub and spoke network covering more than 600 cities from 22 hubs. Popular models like the Swift, Brezza, Baleno, Grand Vitara and Ertiga, produced in Gurugram, Manesar and Gujarat, are moved through this system. Rail connectivity also extends to the ports of Mundra and Pipavav, supporting the company’s export shipments.

Hisashi Takeuchi, Managing Director & CEO, Maruti Suzuki, said, “Achieving three million cumulative vehicle dispatches through railways marks a significant milestone in Maruti Suzuki’s green logistics journey. Since 2014, our rail-based vehicle dispatches have increased ninefold in volume, now contributing 26.5 percent of the Company’s total vehicle dispatches. Maruti Suzuki has committed over INR 13,720 million towards dedicated green logistics infrastructure. This includes development of in-plant railway sidings at our Hansalpur and Manesar manufacturing facilities, rail yards setup at key logistics hubs, procurement of specialised automotive rakes and supporting multiple infrastructure upgrades.

 “We thank the Government of India for the visionary PM GatiShakti National Master Plan, which has created a strong enabling framework for integrated, multimodal logistics and has supported the industry’s transition towards efficient, rail-led and sustainable freight movement. Going forward, we aim to increase the share of rail-based vehicle dispatches to 35 percent by FY2030-31 and plan to establish an in-plant siding at our new Kharkhoda facility. This would further help reduce carbon footprint, lower fuel consumption and ease overall road congestion.”