Toyota has accelerated its ‘Green Wave Project’ commemorating this year’s environment month. It is aimed at enhancing its nature conservation activity in the community with the company distributing saplings to its employees, under its sixth challenge that is termed as ‘Establishing a Future Society in Harmony with Nature’ and looks to contribute to the Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050. 

While the eco campaign continues to drive active community involvement to promote greenery, through employee engagement, Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) has successfully distributed over 7000 saplings to its employees, marking significant progress towards its 8,000-sapling target set under its plantation activity. 

With TKM employees encouraged to plant and nurture the distributed saplings within their neighbourhoods and submit periodic reports on plant growth, the it is noteworthy to mention about Toyota’s tree plantation activities that are strongly driven by adopting a unique concept namely the ‘Miyawaki Method of Afforestation’ since 2009, and TKM was the first corporate in India to implement such plantation methodology. TKM’s steadfast commitment to sustainability and ecological restoration is yielding remarkable results, as evidenced by the numerous advantages of the Miyawaki approach. A comprehensive study conducted in collaboration with experts from Bangalore University revealed that the Miyawaki method excels in carbon sequestration, capturing an impressive 30.86 tonnes of carbon per acre.

By doing so, TKM not only restored native habitats but also created self-sustaining ecosystem that contribute to a healthier planet. Under the guidance of Late Dr Akira Miyawaki himself, TKM initiated its maiden Miyawaki plantation drive, way back in 2009, marking a significant milestone in its journey towards conservation of greenery and eco-consciousness. Since that momentous day, TKM's plantation drives have continued to evolve and expanded to 112 acres of green cover within the factory premises, out of which 32 acres of afforestation has been developed using Miyawaki method. Today, Toyota’s manufacturing facility, located in Bidadi (on the outskirts of Bengaluru) proudly boasts more than 328,000 trees of over 790 native species planted within its premises. The results have been truly awe-inspiring with a remarkable increase in biodiversity observed over the years. 

From a mere 181 plant species, the count has surged to an impressive 790, while the number of faunal species has risen from 76 to 284. The vibrant ecosystem now encompasses 88 bird varieties, 38 butterfly species, 107 insects, 17 reptiles, 8 mammals, and 6 amphibians, reflecting the successful development of a thriving native forest ecosystem.

In addition, TKM has created an experiential environmental learning centre ‘Ecozone’ (spread across 25 acres with 17 theme parks and home to 65,000 trees with 650 native species) for children, teachers, community members and other stakeholders, within its manufacturing facility aimed at creating the environment leaders and change champions for the future, to usher in desired behavioural change in the communities. This green zone depicts the creation of dense forest within the plant facility using the ‘Miyawaki Concept’ of plantation. The forests are dominantly planted with species of 4 major forest types such as Dry Deciduous, Moist Deciduous, Semi-evergreen and Evergreen Forest, covering 21 different sub-concepts such as Pollination meadows, herbal garden, plants for spices etc. So far, more than 42,000+ students & other stakeholders have been covered through ecozone initiative.

B Padmanabha, Executive Vice President and Director of Manufacturing - Toyota Kirloskar Motor, averred, “At Toyota Kirloskar Motor, we recognise that environmental and social sustainability are just as crucial as economic progression. Guided by Toyota’s Global Environmental Challenge 2050 (six challenges announced in 2015), our sustainability efforts are far reaching that go beyond product zero emissions. While the first three challenges seek to achieve zero carbon emissions covering the entire life cycle of our products, across manufacturing operations as well as our value chain, the last three challenges focus to achieve water conservation, establishing recycled based society and living in harmony with nature.”

“We believe that a sustainable future is built through collective action and community involvement, as exemplified by one of our eco initiatives - Green Wave Program that covers afforestation (plantation drives, distribution of saplings), sharing best practices (e.g. Miyawaki plantation methodology), creating awareness on nature conservation and imbibing good eco behaviour (Toyota Ecozone – Experiential Eco Learning). Together with our employees and other stakeholders, we aim to catalyse positive change in the community to safeguard the environment to the future,” he added. 

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JSW Motors Limited, the electric and new energy vehicle subsidiary of the JSW Group, has entered into a long-term strategic agreement with Dassault Systèmes. The collaboration centres on transforming how the automaker will design, engineer and build its forthcoming models, with the DELMIA: 3DEXPERIENCE platform serving as the foundational digital framework for its entire lineup of new energy vehicles.

A key focus of the initiative is strengthening domestic capabilities. By merging local production expertise with globally recognised technology, the company aims to establish an automotive ecosystem that sets a new benchmark for India. This dual focus is designed to produce vehicles that meet international quality standards while being specifically calibrated for the domestic market, ultimately bolstering local supply chains and industrial resilience.

To advance this vision, the manufacturer is deploying the 3DEXPERIENCE platform to create a unified Product Lifecycle Management environment that spans design, engineering and validation. This effort is complemented by the integration of a sophisticated Manufacturing Execution System on the same platform, which ensures seamless digital continuity and full traceability from initial concept to final assembly.

Through this integrated approach, the partnership solidifies the company’s readiness to deliver competitive, future-ready vehicles. The unified digital infrastructure not only accelerates product development but also reinforces the organisation’s commitment to building a self-reliant, world-class automotive presence in India.

Ranjan Nayak, CEO, JSW Motors Limited, said, “At JSW Motors, we are building a technology-led future mobility ecosystem which is engineered in India and world class. We are delighted to partner with Dassault Systèmes from France to embed its state-of-the-art, digital platform across the vehicle lifecycle, from design to manufacturing at JSW Motors. We are also in advanced discussions with several additional domestic suppliers to further deepen localisation and strengthen India’s automotive supply chain. By leveraging the best global technologies, we aim to accelerate development timelines while enhancing quality.”

Deepak NG, Managing Director – India, Dassault Systèmes, said, “The Indian automotive industry is at a pivotal inflection point, and JSW Motors is well positioned to lead this transformation. Our 3DEXPERIENCE platform will empower JSW Motors to manage the growing complexity of software-defined vehicles while enabling end-to-end integration across their entire value chain, from design and engineering to manufacturing and lifecycle management. By building virtual twins of their products and processes, we will help drive greater innovation, efficiency and agility, ensuring scalability and sustained competitiveness in a rapidly evolving market.”

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Tensor, a Silicon Valley-based artificial intelligence firm, has introduced the Tensor Robocar to the United Kingdom at the 5th annual European AV Summit. The vehicle is the first production-ready Level 4 autonomous car designed for personal ownership.

The Robocar features a dual-mode strategy, allowing for both manual and fully autonomous operation. A key hardware innovation is the world's first foldable steering wheel, co-developed with automotive safety supplier Autoliv.

The vehicle architecture is built for full-stack redundancy to meet regional safety and reliability standards. Tensor's engineering utilises agentic AI and adaptive design to manage complex driving environments. The company has established a technical ecosystem through several strategic partnerships:

• Compute and AI: Collaboration with Arm for power-efficient compute platforms and Nvidia for AI processing.
• Infrastructure: Integration with Oracle for cloud systems.
• Manufacturing and Insurance: Partnerships with VinFast for scalable production and Marsh for insurance frameworks.

The UK appearance follows a global launch announcement in August 2025. The European AV Summit served as a platform to engage with regulators, insurers and city planners regarding the implementation of personal Level 4 ownership.

Tensor plans to commence production this year. Initial commercial availability is targeted for the UAE, EU and US markets.

Jay Xiao, Chief Executive Officer, Tensor, said, "Showcasing Tensor at the European AV Summit offered a vital opportunity to demonstrate a production-ready Level 4 vehicle to the policymakers, insurers and industry partners who shape Europe's AV future. Our purpose-built Robocar is engineered for full-stack redundancy providing a level of safety and reliability that combines agentic AI and adaptive design to meet rigorous regional safety standards. Tensor, showing for the first time in the UK, helped translate our technical evidence into practical pathways for safe, consumer ownership across European cities and soon - globally.

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AVL Mobility Technologies, Inc. has joined forces with Ansible Motion to integrate its AVL VSM software with Ansible Motion’s Driver-in-the-Loop simulators. This combination accelerates virtual development, allowing automotive manufacturers and suppliers to significantly cut down on both the time and expense associated with testing and validation.

The AVL VSM platform serves as a versatile real-time simulation tool capable of modelling individual components, entire systems and full vehicles. It enables engineers to evaluate vehicle dynamics and safety under realistic conditions while considering how various attributes and systems interact. This supports a more cohesive approach to optimising vehicle characteristics early in the design process. When paired with an Ansible Motion simulator, users can conduct virtual test drives to refine chassis dynamics, powertrain behaviour and advanced driver assistance systems.

To demonstrate this integrated solution, AVL has installed an Ansible Motion Theta Seat simulator at its Ann Arbor, Michigan, Technical Centre. This setup allows customers to experience the combined VSM and simulator capability firsthand. The impact is amplified when leveraged alongside AVL’s existing Software-in-the-Loop, Hardware-in-the-Loop and Virtual Test Bed technologies within the facility’s Advanced Mobility & Simulation Lab, enabling a seamless transition from virtual models to further development.

Gary Newton, Vice President – Business Development, AVL, said, "By combining AVL VSM with Ansible Motion Driver-in-the-Loop simulators, manufacturers can move critical decisions to the front of the development cycle, dramatically reducing physical prototypes and test iterations. This tool combination can have an enormous impact on timeline and budget. Imagine validating 70+ track scenarios per day in multiple conditions, surfaces and drive events. The result isn’t incremental improvement; it’s months saved and millions preserved."

Salman Safdar, Business Development Director, Ansible Motion, said, "Through our continuing collaborative efforts with AVL, we’re developing new ways to conduct subjective and objective evaluations of qualified concepts much earlier in the vehicle design cycle. Connecting our simulators seamlessly with a feature-rich simulation environment like AVL VSM elevates the virtual vehicle development process for manufacturers seeking to shorten development times, realise cost savings and reduce environmental impacts."

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German technology company AUMOVIO has been awarded the Microsoft Intelligent Manufacturing Award (MIMA) in the ‘Innovate!’ category for its internally developed AI Hub.

The platform, recognised by Microsoft Germany and Roland Berger, integrates artificial intelligence into industrial workflows to assist with tasks ranging from code optimisation to predictive maintenance.

The AI Hub functions as a centralised system that allows employees to deploy and create specialised AI agents. These agents automate routine activities and provide decision-making support across various corporate functions.

Current deployments and use cases include:

• Software Engineering: Monitoring compliance with internal coding standards and guidelines.
• Procurement: Analysis and assessment of commercial contracts.
• Manufacturing: Diagnostic support for maintenance teams to identify technical failures.
• Scale: Over 1,500 AI agents are currently active, serving 21,000 employees globally.

The system integrates with standard office software and engineering tools. It features a built-in code interpreter for dataset analysis and utilises standardised protocols to interact securely with internal applications.

AUMOVIO developed the platform in-house, transitioning from a proof of concept to a company-wide rollout in under 18 months. This internal approach allows the company to maintain control over system architecture, data protection and the integration of emerging AI technologies into industrial environments.

Recent updates to the platform include secure access to local machines and internal servers, enabling agents to provide closer support for daily operations.

Jean-François Tarabbia, Member of the Executive Board and Head of Architecture and Network Solutions, AUMOVIO, said, "Artificial intelligence is fundamentally changing how industrial companies operate. With the AUMOVIO AI Hub, we have created a platform that brings AI directly into our employees’ daily workflows. By combining advanced AI capabilities with deep industrial expertise, we enable our teams worldwide to access relevant information faster, handle complexity more efficiently, and automate routine tasks to create more room for innovation."

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