Returning for the 2025 season and 75th anniversary year this weekend, the Formula 1 sport has released a round-up on the progress made towards its sustainability and social commitments last year. In the form of 2024 Impact Report, which will be released later this year, the progress made towards its sustainability and social commitments with Net Zero as the goal for 2030, the Formula 1 sport has – on the environmental front – made significant investments in Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) as part of its ultra-efficient logistics strategy. 
It has invested significantly in SAF as it delivers an estimated 80 percent reduction in associated carbon emissions per flight compared to the use of conventional aviation fuel. The combined investment in SAF with Global Partners DHL and Qatar Airways reduced total related emissions by more than 8,000 tCO2e (tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent), an approximate 19 percent reduction in related emissions– compared to traditional aviation fuel – for the air freight charter programme operated by Formula 1 across the flyaway events of the 2024 season.
The delivery of innovative low-carbon energy generation systems using renewable sources such as hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), biofuel, solar panels, and battery began testing in 2023. Last year, they were used at the Red Bull Ring, the Hungarian Grand Prix and the Italian Grand Prix in Monza. For the 2025 season, a programme will be rolled out to reduce more than 90 percent of carbon emissions at all European Grands Prix in key areas such as the Paddock, Pit Lane, and Event Technical Centre. 
As part of the sport’s ongoing efforts to reduce carbon emissions associated with travel and logistics, improvements were made to the geographical flow of races around the world in 2024. This included agreement from the Promoter in Japan to move the Suzuka race back from September to April to fit with the Asia Pacific segment of the schedule, while Azerbaijan took its slot to align with Singapore. The organisers of the Qatar Grand Prix also approved a move to the penultimate spot in the schedule, back-to-back with Abu Dhabi. From 2026 the Canadian Grand Prix will be hosted earlier in the year and the Monaco Grand Prix will take place on the first full weekend in June, consolidating the European leg of the F1 season into one period, removing an additional transatlantic crossing and delivering significant associated carbon reductions. 
Last year, F2 and F3 cars ran on 55 percent Aramco advanced sustainable fuel and the FIA medical and safety cars operated on 40 percent of it. In 2025, the F2 and F3 cars will move to 100 percent use of it, ahead of the Formula 1 cars adopting the fuels in 2026 in the new hybrid engines that will take to the circuit next year. 
The technology has implications for the automotive industry and existing petrol cars, as the fuel developed by Formula 1 will be a ‘drop-in’ that can be used in road cars without modification and will serve as a sustainable alternative of global benefit. 
Throughout the 2024 season, the cars all operated with FSC approved Pirelli tyres, which means the natural rubber in the type complies with the FSC’s strict standards for sustainable forestry. Some 80 percent of promoters powered aspects of their events using alternative energy sources such as solar panels, green tariffs, and biofuels. Over 90 precent of promoters began offering greener ways to travel to the race.
On the social commitments front, the Formula 1 sport – in 2024 season – marked the fourth year of its F1 Engineering Scholarships programme, which would support 50 underrepresented students by the end of 2025. The Scholarship covers the entire cost of the student’s tuition, together with living expenses for the full duration of their degree, enabling them to focus on their studies. It also offers them support to set them up for their careers, including work experience with one of the ten Formula 1 teams, as well as career workshops and mentoring. 
Formula 1 also launched the global education programme ‘Learning Sectors’ in collaboration with the British Council to inspire young learners in Brazil, India, South Africa, and the UK to pursue STEM subjects. The year long programme kicks off this year with 130,000 students in 700 schools. 
F1 Academy, the sport’s female-only series, competed alongside Formula 1 at seven events last year, completing 21 races. Through F1 Academy’s partnership with the international karting series, Champions of the Future, female participation in racing increased from five percent in 2023 to 25 percent in 2024. 
The sport also continued with hosting apprenticeships and workshops, such as The Next Grand Prix challenge in association with the Social Mobility Business Partnership (SMBP) charity, which challenges students aged between 16 and 18 from a breadth of backgrounds to assume a business leadership role and deliver a fictional bid for a new Formula One World Championship location. 
Ellen Jones, Head of ESG at Formula 1, said, “Innovation and community drove Formula 1's work in 2024. We are thrilled to outline our progress and continued work in this space. Formula 1 as a sport is uniquely positioned to take action through our global reach and technological leadership.”
 
 
 

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Epsilon Cathode Active Materials (Epsilon CAM) has revealed its Gen III LFP Cathode Material, marking a significant non-Chinese advancement in high-energy-density battery chemistry at a commercial scale.

The technology was developed at the company’s Cathode Technology Centre in Moosburg, Germany, an innovation hub supported by a portfolio of over 145 active patents. The breakthrough addresses the global automotive industry's need for high-performance battery materials that offer supply chain diversification and regulatory compliance.

The Gen III LFP material is engineered to provide electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers with claimed performance differentiation through several key metrics:

• Energy Capacity: Achieves a discharge capacity of ≥159 mAh/g.
• Architecture: Features an electrode density of ≥2.51 g/cc, allowing for denser cell architecture.
• Longevity: Delivers 2X cycle life for extended battery pack durability.
• Thermal Stability: Offers proven performance in high-temperature environments.

A primary feature of the Gen III LFP material is its full PFE (Prohibited Foreign Entity) approval. This compliance allows for unrestricted entry into North American battery manufacturing and automotive supply chains, providing a critical advantage as manufacturers seek to meet diversified regulatory mandates.

Vikram Handa, Managing Director, Epsilon Group, said, "This isn't just incremental. With our Gen III LFP Cathode Material, we've engineered a formulation that gives EV makers genuine performance differentiation – more energy per cell, denser electrode architecture and the compliance pathway that matters most for the North American market: full PFE approval."

To support global demand, Epsilon is advancing manufacturing with a planned capacity of 30,000 TPA (tonnes per annum) in India. By combining German research and development with Indian production, the company offers a credible alternative to Chinese dominance in the battery materials sector.

This ‘dual-hub’ strategy allows EV OEMs to mitigate geopolitical exposure and supply chain concentration risks while achieving performance parity with current Chinese alternatives. The Moosburg facility will continue to lead global R&D and product development for successive generations of LFP materials.

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Sterling Tools has entered a technology collaboration with China-based Nanjing Haohang to manufacture Advanced Rider Assistance Systems (ARAS) for the Indian two-wheeler market.

The agreement establishes a framework for Sterling Tools to lead local engineering, manufacturing and sales of ARAS in India. These systems utilise sensors and software to provide real-time alerts, functioning similarly to ADAS in passenger cars but adapted for the specific dynamics of two-wheelers. The partnership aims to address safety gaps in India, where two-wheeler accidents represent a significant portion of road fatalities.

The collaboration has already resulted in the testing and validation of several features on Indian roads. These include Front and Rear Collision Warning, Blind Spot Detection, Lane Change Warning, and Wrong-Side Alert.

Sterling Tools plans to offer these production-ready systems to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to support the adoption of intelligent mobility and safety-driven regulations.

Anish Agarwal, Director, Sterling Tools, said, “We are moving toward an era of intelligent mobility. This partnership with Haohang, tailored for the Indian market, equip two-wheeler OEMs with advanced rider assistance technologies that address a critical safety gap. Two-wheeler accidents account for a significant share of road fatalities in India and our collaboration aims to foster a safer environment for the 2W industry and its manufacturers.”

Nanjing Haohang will provide the global technology platform, while Sterling Tools will manage system adaptation for local road conditions. This expansion follows Sterling Tools’ recent investments in EV power electronics and rare-earth-magnet-free motor solutions.

LI Zhipan, General Manager, Nanjing Haohang, added, “India represents one of the most important markets for advanced rider assistance technology, given the scale and safety challenges of its two-wheeler segment. Our collaboration with Sterling Tools allows us to localise our solutions for Indian road conditions and bring validated, life-saving technology to automakers and riders across the country.”

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Pony.ai, a technology company, has announced a significant cost breakthrough in its autonomous vehicle roadmap at Auto China 2026.

The company expects the total cost of its 2027 Gen-7 Robotaxi – including the vehicle and the autonomous driving kit – to fall below RMB 230,000 (USD 33,000 / INR 2.74 million).

This price point is notably lower than the current starting price of a Tesla Model 3 in China, which it said signals a shift from experimental technology to economically viable infrastructure.

The company has transitioned from testing to scaling, citing a 70 percent reduction in bill-of-materials costs for its latest hardware. Key updates include:

• Fleet Expansion: Pony.ai's fleet has grown from 270 to over 1,400 vehicles, with a target of 3,000 units across 20 global cities by end-2026.
• Economic Breakeven: The company has achieved unit-economics breakeven in two major Southern Chinese economic hubs.
• Toyota Collaboration: The Gen-7 bZ4X Robotaxi has received on-road testing permits in Guangzhou, with plans to deploy 1,000 units in tier-one cities this year.

World’s First L4 autonomous light-duty truck

Furthermore, Pony.ai also expanded into urban logistics by unveiling an L4 electric light-duty truck developed in partnership with CATL.

Built on CATL’s Kunshi chassis, the e-truck features 100 percent automotive-grade redundancy across all critical systems (steering, braking and sensors). It is designed to reduce freight costs by 40 percent to 50 percent compared to human-driven transport. It features 18 cubic metres of cargo capacity and a range of 320–450 km, intended for supermarket restocking and cold-chain delivery.

Dr. Tiancheng Lou, CTO, Pony.ai, introduced PonyWorld 2.0, an upgraded proprietary world model. Unlike standard simulation tools, this system uses reinforcement learning to:

It can identify specific scenarios where the ‘Virtual Driver’ underperforms. It’s targeted learning approach guides data collection to improve model training efficiency. The technology enforces ‘fail-operational’ capabilities, ensuring the vehicle can safely pull over even during hardware failures.

Dr. James Peng, Founder and CEO, Pony.ai, said, “Today, the question is no longer whether Robotaxi can work. The focus is how to scale it safely, efficiently and at the right cost.”

With the launch of these new platforms, Pony.ai is leveraging a shared technology stack across both passenger mobility and urban logistics, creating economies of scale that allow for rapid deployment in both Chinese and overseas markets.

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JSW Motors, the new-energy vehicle arm of the JSW Group, and Tata Elxsi have entered a strategic alliance to establish JNEXT – the JSW NextGen Technology Center in Pune. This engineering hub is designed to support the development of software-defined, AI-powered mobility solutions as JSW Motors prepares its upcoming vehicle programmes for the Indian market.

Under the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), Tata Elxsi will lead the end-to-end implementation of the Connected Vehicle Platform and a unified customer experience app.

This partnership covers the entire vehicle lifecycle, from conceptualisation and cloud integration to production and aftersales support. The collaboration is a key component of JSW Motors’ strategy to build a localised, technology-led ecosystem for electric and connected vehicles.

The JNEXT Center will leverage Tata Elxsi’s proprietary platforms, such as TETHER Auto, to deliver several advanced capabilities:

• Digital & Data Solutions: User experience (UX) design, cloud platforms, and over-the-air (OTA) update frameworks.
• Intelligent Systems: AI/ML analytics, 5G-enabled technology, digital twins, and cybersecurity.
• Immersive Tech: Location-based services and AR/VR/XR integration to enhance the customer ownership experience.
• Architecture: Software-defined vehicle architectures, predictive maintenance diagnostics and functional safety frameworks aligned with global standards.

Ranjan Nayak, CEO, JSW Motors, said, “Tata Elxsi's proven expertise across software-defined vehicles, ADAS, electrification, and digital engineering will help us accelerate development timelines and raise the bar on quality, safety, and innovation. This partnership is a step forward in our commitment to indigenisation, delivering world-class vehicles for Indian customers.”

Manoj Raghavan, MD & CEO, Tata Elxsi, added, “The future of mobility will be increasingly connected and software-defined, where vehicles continuously evolve through software, data, and intelligent systems. The JNEXT – JSW NextGen Technology Center will be instrumental in translating this into real-world mobility solutions across vehicle programmes.”

The establishment of this hub in Pune positions both companies at the forefront of India's shift toward intelligent, new-energy mobility, combining JSW's industrial manufacturing scale with Tata Elxsi’s software and design engineering expertise.

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