Factors such as ‘time-to-market’, regulations and costs are tilting the tables in the direction of modular vehicle architecture. This includes the design and assembly of all sub-systems of a vehicle in a modular manner. This also includes design standardisation and that of the production of auto parts in the form of modules.  

The advantage of modular vehicle architecture can be clearly seen at the final 'assembly' stage were numerous variants (read as trims) can be positioned seamlessly and without bringing an entire operation to the halt for the want of a module, part of an assembly tool. 

While the first instance of the employment of modular vehicle architecture in India may be hard to pin point, it was Ashok Leyland that announced the launch of a modular architecture in the form of the medium and heavy-duty AVTR truck platform as the BS VI emission norms came into effect in 2020.  

The move reminded of the comprehensive modular architecture approach of Swedish truck maker Scania. The kind of modularity Scania built into its trucks was such that its customers could choose from a wide range of aggregates such as engines, transmissions, chassis, cabin and more to build a truck that would best address their application requirements.  

Unlike the Scania’s approach to modularity, Ashok Leyland chose to offer its truck buyers the choice of engines, transmissions, suspensions, cabins and superstructure so that they could build a vehicle that met their business needs.  

One of the key reasons why Ashok Leyland chose to go down the modular architecture route was the need to cut down on components such as the exhaust parts. There would have been parts that the company would have to produce in many numbers and types to address the customer requirements in the BS VI era had it not taken to the modular approach.  

Not only did the AVTR modular architecture helped streamline the supply chain and control the costs better, it made sure the buyer of an Ashok Leyland medium or heavy-duty truck could choose from more than 600,000 unique combinations.  

Like Ashok Leyland, Tata Motors has also been quite active in design and development of modular architectures. It developed the modular truck architecture in the form of the Prima many years ago along with its Korean Daewoo commercial vehicle arm. Not limiting itself to the Prima, the company developed modular architectures in the form of the Signa and Ultra. 

It was the modular approach that led to the creation of some brilliant models such at the Signa 3118 and the Ultra 3118.  

On the passenger vehicle side, the ‘ALFA’ modular architecture is being put to good use by Tata Motors in reducing the time to market and in controlling the costs as it competes with some of the most agile global passenger vehicle manufacturers in its home market as well as other markets in the world. 
The ‘ALFA’ modular vehicle architecture is currently supporting the Altroz and Punch. It is also the basis for the electric Punch that is expected to be launched soon in India.  

Allowing a differentiated design approach and subsequently multiple body styles to meet the evolving aspirations of customers in the automotive market, the ‘ALFA modular architecture – termed as ‘Agile Light Flexible Advanced’ and basis for an exciting e 45X concept – is playing a crucial role in meeting the high-volume demand for an entire portfolio of cars at Tata Motors as of now.  

The beauty of the ‘ALFA’ architecture is such that it could be used to create diverse vehicles with distinct body styles with a variety of powertrains (petrol, diesel, CNG and even electric), transmissions, drivelines, suspensions etc, mentioned a source. A combination of body styles, hardware and software could be deployed to offer the necessary attributes, he added.  

Pointing at the recent introduction of Punch CNG with twin-cylinder CNG technology, he informed that the ‘ALFA’ modular architecture is helping to expand the scope of twin-cylinder CNC tech as much.  

The differentiating factor of the technology is that it does not eat into the vehicle storage space. The vehicle body can receive necessary reinforcements to bear the additional weight of the cylinders. In the CNG Punch, the suspension too has been suitably strengthened to handle the additional weight.  

Observing that the CNG Punch is just one part, the source said that the electric Punch would mean that the ‘ALFA’ modular vehicle architecture has truly come to age. Claimed to be undergoing advanced testing and validation, the electric Punch would further enhance Tata Motors’ lead in the electric passenger vehicle space. It is expected to be introduced by the end of this year or early next year.  

The ambitions that Tata Motors has regarding its EV portfolio could be derived from the fact that on 29 August 2023 it announced a new brand identity TATA.ev for its EV business. It is aligned with Tata Motors' commitment towards sustainability and innovation.

EVs influence modular vehicle architectures
EVs are turning to be a big factor for the creation of modular platforms lately as they promise less complexities pertaining to platform engineering, keeping them to the bare minimum. Modular electric vehicle architectures are also enabling the development of core platforms with standardised design and production of auto parts in the form of modules and a streamlined as well as compact final 'assembly' as per the positioning of models. 

The R&D and production costs, shortening the development cycle of new models, facilitating the unification of quality standards and improving the overall strength of products, modular electric vehicle architectures are enabling unique ‘oil-to-electricity’ transformations as well.  

Dedicated modular electric vehicle architectures are enabling clever integration (read as badge engineering) across brands and as a part of the new cooperation strategies. With software defined vehicles the order of the day, electric vehicles especially, the tilt towards modular vehicle architecture is proving to be beneficial in terms of offering a differentiated user experience, to keep control over the supply chain and to keep control over the costs and to test and validate. 

(Image for representation purpose only)

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Wayve, NVIDIA and Stellantis have announced a joint collaboration alongside the French government at the Assises du Véhicule Autonome to support the deployment of autonomous vehicles in France and across the European Union.

The initiative combines Stellantis’ L4-Ready Platforms with the Wayve AI Driver system, integrating NVIDIA Halos OS on the NVIDIA Hyperion compute and sensor architecture. The collaboration aims to establish an autonomous vehicle value chain in France, spanning silicon development, software integration and vehicle manufacturing.

Local transport partners will engage with trade unions, municipal authorities, and mobility stakeholders to address regulatory alignment, safety requirements, and operational deployment.

Philippe Tabarot, French Minister of Transports, said, "I am pleased to see this collaboration between Wayve, NVIDIA and Stellantis launched at the Autonomous Vehicle Forum in France. France is committed to adapting its regulatory framework to accelerate the development of autonomous vehicles while maintaining strict safety and data sovereignty requirements. By bringing together trade unions, city authorities, and mobility stakeholders, this collaboration embodies the collaborative spirit of the Assises du Véhicule Autonome, as well as the approach required to transition from trials to real-world deployment."

Kaity Fischer, VP Autonomous Mobility & Operations, Wayve, said, "France is leading the way in preparing for autonomous vehicles, and we’re proud to enter this collaboration at such an important moment. By working directly with the French Government and our partners, we can help shape how this technology is deployed safely and responsibly and accelerate its development across the country and entire EU."

Anne Laliron, SVP of Technology Research, Stellantis, said, "This collaboration will help accelerate the delivery of autonomous driving technologies that make mobility safer and more convenient for customers. While its impact is global, France is one of Stellantis’ key centres for engineering and technology development, making it a natural home for advancing the future of AI-powered mobility."

Ali Kani, VP of Automotive, NVIDIA, said, "Bringing safe autonomous mobility to Europe requires deep collaboration across AI, computing and vehicle engineering. NVIDIA Hyperion platform, combined with Wayve’s embodied AI and Stellantis’ automotive expertise, provides a foundation for that ambition. Together with the French Government and local partners, we can help build an ecosystem that brings the benefits of autonomous driving to communities across France and Europe."

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German luxury carmaker Audi has introduced third-generation digital OLED rear lighting technology on the Q91, marking the production debut of three-dimensionally curved digital OLED panels in the automotive industry.

The lighting system incorporates carrier glass measuring 0.1 millimetres in thickness, allowing a bend radius of up to 200 millimetres to match the vehicle's body contours. The Q91 uses six digital OLED panels housing 512 individual segments, including an outer curved panel with 99 segments.

The curved positioning extends light visibility to wider lateral angles and incorporates warning symbols within the communication light system to alert surrounding traffic to breakdowns, emergency braking or accidents. Up to eight digital light signatures are available across static, active and semi-active display settings.

The vehicle also features digital Matrix LED headlights utilising a 13-millimetre micro-LED module containing 25,600 individual micro-LEDs. The headlight system projects high-resolution lane lighting, orientation paths and dynamic turn signal graphics directly onto the road surface to assist lane centring and indicate directional changes to pedestrians and other vehicles.

Audi first introduced OLED technology on the TT RS in 2016, followed by segmented digital OLEDs on the Q5 in 2020 and second-generation panels on the Q6 e-tron in 2024.

Stefan Berlitz, Head of Lighting Development at AUDI AG, said, "At Audi, light means safety first and foremost – seeing and being seen. Digitalisation opens up entirely new possibilities for further enhancing road safety. The curved digital OLED technology in the Audi Q91 impressively demonstrates this technology’s potential. It combines design freedom, personalization, and communication with the vehicle’s surroundings at a new level. Our vision is to gradually transform light into an intelligent means of communication that makes interaction between the vehicle and its surroundings even safer and more intuitive."

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European ride-hailing platform Bolt has selected the NVIDIA Alpamayo Stack autonomous driving software to operate its vehicle fleet in Europe, starting with Lucid automobiles.

The deployment commences in Madrid in 2027, with subsequent deployment planned in Germany and France. The initiative supports the integration of at least 25,000 Level 4-ready Lucid vehicles equipped with NVIDIA Hyperion compute and sensor architecture. The program contributes to Bolt's objective of deploying 100,000 autonomous vehicles across Europe and the UNECE region by 2035. The system integrates reasoning artificial intelligence with perception and planning modules alongside NVIDIA Halos safety controls.

Jevgeni Kabanov, President and Head of Autonomous Driving, Bolt, said, “Autonomous driving will change how people move around cities, and Europe should play a major role in how that future is built. Our ambition isn't to bring autonomous driving to just a handful of cities. We want to make autonomous ride-hailing available at scale across Europe, with 100,000 vehicles on our platform by 2035. We're bringing together some of the best technologies in the world to make that possible. Following our first autonomous mobility launch in Luxembourg, our next step with NVIDIA and Lucid is to begin a programme in Madrid in 2027. The Region of Madrid is pioneering a structured framework for commercial autonomous mobility in coordination with national authorities. Germany will also be a priority for what comes next, with cities already setting out clear ambitions for autonomous mobility.”

Rishi Dhall, Vice-President of Automotive, NVIDIA, said, “Robotaxis will scale when every vehicle is built on a common, safety-engineered foundation. NVIDIA Hyperion standardises the compute and sensor architecture across vehicle platforms, while NVIDIA Alpamayo Stack and Halos provide the driving intelligence and safety foundation. Bolt’s European platform, operational experience and work with cities and regulators make it a strong partner to bring autonomous ride-hailing to market at scale in Europe.”

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French tier 1 supplier Valeo has announced plans to develop and industrialise high-performance compute platforms utilising the NVIDIA Hyperion reference architecture and NVIDIA Halos safety system.

The initiative combines Valeo's vehicle integration capabilities with centralised computing architectures to support software-defined mobility systems. The platform utilises the NVIDIA DRIVE AGX Thor architecture to deliver processing performance and redundancy for Level 4 autonomous driving, commercial trucking and robotaxi applications. The development framework enables automakers to integrate features and deploy autonomous technologies across vehicle models.

Marc Vrecko, Chief Executive Officer, Valeo Brain Division, said, "Our work with NVIDIA marks a significant milestone in our mission to make autonomous driving a safe, scalable reality. By seamlessly integrating NVIDIA’s advanced compute power into our next-generation platforms, we are delivering the flexible, centralised intelligence vehicle manufacturers require to redefine the driving experience and meet the evolving demands of tomorrow’s intelligent vehicles."

Rishi Dhall, Vice-President of Automotive, NVIDIA, said, "Valeo’s expertise in high-performance computing, vehicle integration and automotive-scale industrialisation will help automakers adopt NVIDIA Hyperion and NVIDIA Halos at production scale. Together, NVIDIA and Valeo are providing the AI performance, functional safety and scalability needed to accelerate the development of Level 4 autonomous vehicles and robotaxis."

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