All set to conduct its International Mobility Conference in Bengaluru from October 12 to October 14, SAEINDIA (Society of Automotive Engineers India) is highlighting sustainable multi-modal mobility. Revealing the theme of the event as ‘Sustainable Multi-Modal Mobility Ecosystem’, the organisation is banking on industry leaders from diverse fields like EVs, automotive and aerospace as its members to add value. 

Venkat Raj, Deputy Director, SAEINDIA, expressed, “We are looking at 7 STGs – sustainability goals – that include affordable, safe and environmentally friendly mobility. In addition to waterways, metros, etc, more is being awaited in a sustainable way.” Celebrating 25 years in India, SAEINDIA has been increasingly getting interested in mobility engineering,” he added. 

Held in a post pandemic environment, the event, termed as SIIMC 2022 in short, is the 10th such in a row. In what is regarded as the organisation’s Indian chapter’s flagship event, the SIIMC 2022 will see over 700 mobility experts including industry thought leaders and professionals from research and development, manufacturing and services along with faculties, students and independent researchers come together and discuss trends and innovations shaping the future of mobility. 

Mahesh Babu, Patron – SIIMC 2022, and CEO, Switch Mobility India, said, “As the highest growth country in the next decade, India has to find sustainable ways to grow including in the area of mobility.” Stating that demand for mobility would have grown 50 percent by 2020, he averred, “People mobility is going to put tremendous pressure and the need therefore is to focus on public transport as a means of sustainable development. This is necessary despite the count of personal vehicles in India being much less than that in US or Europe. Consider this: India has the lowest per capita bus fleet in the world amid huge urbanisation. There is a need by people and experts to together achieve a sustainable multiple mobility platform.” 

Building on the good response received by the 9th edition, the event committee received 530 papers and ideations. Of these 150 would be selected and presented across 5 parallel sessions. There will be over 50 stalls and an exposition. The highlight of this edition will be TechHive, an event for start-ups. Expecting a footfall of 800 visitors, the event will cover topics like automotive, connected tech, SG, vehicle electronics and software, AI, electric and urban air mobility among others. 

Focusing on hyperloop, inland waterways and urban mass transport, the event, according to Dr Shankar Venugopal, Vice President – MRV, Mahindra & Mahindra, will have sustainability, democratisation, disruption and digitisation as the undercurrents. Stating that the quest for increased mobility has left an impact on the environment, Dr. Bala Bharadvaj, immediate past President of SAEINDIA, mentioned, “Our ability in terms of technology is much better. Look at unmanned vehicles, quad-copters, etc, to support mobility, monitor crops and take pictures. Such scenarios make urban air mobility promising but not without its own set of complications.” “Would such mediums help avoid traffic jams on the roads an create new ones in the air makes it exciting as emerging possibilities. No mobility works independently and that makes it important to ensure sustainable mediums through greener fuels like solar.” 
 

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Marquardt, a supplier of mechatronic systems, has launched a concept vehicle, ‘The Centum’, to demonstrate the integration of functional controls into automotive surfaces. The project involved a collaboration with E Ink and Covestro to develop a door interior panel that embeds a responsive display within synthetic materials.

The project aimed to maintain the tactile properties of polyurethane (PU)-coated textiles while enabling a colour-changing display to remain invisible until activated. This supports industry trends toward backlit surfaces and integrated control elements.

The display technology uses E Ink, which provides a low-energy, durable electronic paper display designed for automotive environments. For coating, Covestro has developed a transparent film using INSQIN waterborne PU technology. The coating uses Impranil DLC-F, a waterborne polyurethane dispersion used in automotive topcoats.

The resulting material retains the texture of standard automotive textiles while allowing the underlying display colors to remain visible through the coating.

Felix Hake, Head of Innovation, Marquardt, said, “With The Centum, we wanted to demonstrate how intelligent functions can be integrated into interior surfaces without compromising design or quality. Working with E Ink and Covestro allowed us to create a material solution that combines a premium tactile experience with responsive visual effects.”

Dr Torsten Pohl, Global Head of Textile Coatings, Covestro, added, “This project highlights the versatility of INSQIN PU technology and Impranil DLC-F. By developing a transparent, automotive-grade PU coated synthetic compatible with E Ink displays, we were able to support Marquardt in integrating dynamic functionality into familiar surface materials.”

Pete Valianatos, Senior Director, E Ink, said, “Our e-paper display technology is designed to deliver dynamic visual experiences with low power consumption, while maintaining the robustness required for demanding applications. Collaborating with Marquardt and Covestro has enabled us to demonstrate how E Ink displays can be integrated behind coated interior surfaces, allowing automotive designers to introduce adaptive colour features without changing the established look and feel of premium materials.

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Yazaki Innovations Inc (YII), the technology subsidiary of Yazaki Corporation, has announced the appointment of Manish Mehta as its new CEO and President.

Mehta has been a long-time associate of Yazaki Corporation and has spent over two and half decades with the organisation. He had joined the company as an Engineer Manager in 2001, and grew to the ranks of Vice-President Corporate Planning and Strategy in 2021.

He joined the company’s board of directors in 2023, and is now responsible for leading YII, which focusses on the integration of the parent company’s global product portfolio, manufacturing assets and product development with an approach to innovation.

The subsidiary is tasked with developing technologies across several industrial and transport segments. Its remit includes the engineering and development of solutions for the following areas:

• Mobility: Electric vehicles, autonomous vehicles, and Electric Vertical Take-off & Landing (eVTOL) aircraft.
• Industrial & Infrastructure: Aerospace, construction and agriculture equipment and PreFab Home Wiring.
• Specialised Engineering: Off-road and specialty vehicles, alongside advanced manufacturing processes.

The organisation aims to combine Yazaki Corporation’s business assets with a methodology designed to address trending technologies in these sectors.

"I am pleased to announce my new role as CEO & President of Yazaki Innovations Inc (YII). Yazaki Innovations is the disruptive technology subsidiary of Yazaki Corporation, integrating the best attributes and strengths of the company’s global product portfolio, product development, manufacturing, and business assets with a quick, agile approach to innovation. This is an exciting opportunity, and I look forward to collaborating with internal and external partners to contribute to the future growth of Yazaki," said Mehta.

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TSUYO Manufacturing Pvt Ltd has appointed Naveen Kumar Amar as Senior Vice President of Finance, effective 1 April 2026. Recognised as a global finance power leader, Amar brings over 20 years of expertise in financial strategy, corporate governance and operational efficiency within capital-intensive industries. His arrival marks a strategic move as the company accelerates growth in the EV powertrain sector.

Before joining TSUYO, Amar was CFO at SpiceXpress, where he led financial restructuring, cost optimisation and drove digitisation projects. He also managed international and domestic fundraising across equity and debt. At TSUYO, he will oversee financial planning, capital allocation, and governance as the company scales manufacturing and deepens EV powertrain investments.

The company recently secured Single Window Clearance from Karnataka Government for a proposed 20-acre EV Powertrain Campus in the Dharwad–Hubli region, a hub for design, testing and production. Last month, TSUYO launched next generation electric motor technologies for India’s light commercial vehicle market, emphasising modular design, deep engineering and Make in India innovation.

The leadership team welcomed Amar, stating his appointment strengthens alignment of capital strategy with long term objectives. TSUYO is also investing in advanced manufacturing infrastructure and localisation of key EV components to reduce import reliance and bolster the domestic EV ecosystem.

Amar said, “I am excited to join Tsuyo at a crucial moment in its growth journey, as the company scales its manufacturing capabilities and strengthens its position in India’s evolving electric mobility ecosystem. With experience across diverse, capital-intensive sectors, I see immense opportunity in building a financially disciplined, execution-focused organisation that can sustain high growth over the long term. The company’s focus on the convergence of deep technology, localisation and large-scale manufacturing presents a unique platform for creating enduring value. I look forward to partnering with the leadership team to enable Tsuyo’s ambition of becoming a globally acclaimed EV powertrain company."

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German automotive luxury brand Audi has launched the new RS 5, featuring a high-performance plug-in hybrid system and a rear transaxle equipped with electromechanical torque vectoring. Marketed as quattro with Dynamic Torque Control, this system manages transverse torque distribution between the rear wheels within 15 milliseconds.

The system enables torque shifts between the rear wheels regardless of the power applied. Unlike mechanical equivalents, it operates during throttle application, off-throttle states and under braking.

It features a High-Voltage Actuator that uses a water-cooled permanent-magnet 400-volt electric motor providing 8 kW and 40 Nm of output. Overdrive Gears components use actuator torque to transfer differences of up to 2,000 Nm to the driveshafts.

The differential consists of a conventional unit with a low lock percentage that distributes applied torque to the left and right shafts.

The technology is designed to reduce understeer and oversteer by directing torque to the wheel with the most grip. If the vehicle begins to oversteer in a bend, the system increases torque at the inside wheel to provide stability. Conversely, it reduces torque at the inner wheel to prevent understeer, redirecting power to the outer wheel for traction.

Control is centralised via the HCP1 (High-Performance Computing Platform), which harmonises driver inputs with environmental data. This platform interprets steering intentions to provide unfiltered transfer to the wheels.

• Electromechanical torque vectoring at the rear axle works in conjunction with front-axle supports:
• Electronic Differential Lock: Enhances front-axle traction via the brakes.
• Brake Torque Vectoring: Provides additional front-end assistance.
• Adaptive Shock Absorbers: The twin-valve units are calibrated with the rear transaxle to improve throttle response and corner entry.

The system allows for customisable driving characteristics through various drive select modes, ranging from a balanced setup to a rear-biased configuration. Audi states the ‘fixed coupling’ of this electromechanical solution ensures torque distribution remains independent of drive torque, a distinction from clutch-based torque splitters.

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