Chinese-owned Swedish automotive major Volvo Cars has unveiled a new multi-adaptive safety belt, which it claims is a world-first technology aimed to further enhance safety for everyone in real-world traffic situations. The multi-adaptive safety belt is set to debut in Volvo EX60 in 2026, the company’s fully electric offering. It uses real-time data from the cars advanced sensors to adapt to traffic variations and the user wearing the seatbelt.

Based on the data input from interior and exterior sensors the seatbelt provides customised protection, adapting the setting based on the situation and individual’s profiles, such as their height, weight, body shape and seating position. For example, a larger occupant in a serious crash will receive a higher belt load setting to help reduce the risk of head injury. While a smaller occupant in a milder crash will receive a lower belt load setting to reduce the risk of rib fractures. Using over-the-air software updates, it gets better over time.

Asa Haglund, Head of Volvo Cars Safety Centre, said, “The world's first multi-adaptive safety belt is another milestone for automotive safety and a great example of how we leverage real-time data with the ambition to help save millions of more lives. This marks a major upgrade to the modern three-point safety belt, a Volvo invention introduced in 1959, estimated to have saved over a million lives.”

The Swedish carmaker stated that modern safety belts use load limiters to control how much force the safety belt applies on the human body during a crash. This new safety belt expands the load-limiting profiles from three to 11 and increases the possible number of settings, enabling it to optimise performance for each situation and individual. Unlike traditional systems, the new multi-adaptive safety belt can utilise data from different sensors, including exterior, interior and crash sensors. In less than a blink of an eye, the car’s system analyses the unique characteristics of a crash – such as direction, speed and passenger posture – and shares that information with the safety belt. Based on this data, the system selects the most appropriate setting.

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Bengaluru-based deep-tech battery start-up Flowatt Battery Science has raised INR 22 million in its pre-seed funding round led by accelerator PedalStart.

The capital will be directed towards technology optimisation, completing the proof-of-concept (POC) for its electric battery and building alliances with insurers, EV financiers, OEMs and other stakeholders.

Flowatt focuses on powering commercial mobility fleets for e-commerce and quick-commerce segments. It uses a Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS) pay-per-use model for electric two-wheelers and three-wheelers, which aims to lower battery purchase costs for fleet operators. The service uses IoT-enabled tracking and data analytics to optimise battery performance and cost-efficiency.

The company has scaled its BaaS model to nearly 1,500 batteries across multiple Indian cities. Following the funding, Flowatt plans to deploy over 20,000 batteries under its BaaS offering, achieve over INR 25 million monthly recurring revenue (MRR), and expand to more than 15 cities across tier 1 and tier 2 India by the end-FY2027.

Siddhartha Srivastava, Bikesh Jha and Vikash Singh, Co-Founders of Flowatt Battery Science, said: “We are thrilled to announce our pre-seed round led by PedalStart, a significant milestone set to propel Flowatt’s journey ahead. In the near term, the funds raised shall be instrumental in enabling us to optimise and scale our new battery-as-a-service solution that offers a three-fold edge- minimal cost, longest battery life and assured buyback guarantee. As the electric mobility scene in India soars, managing EV batteries efficiently throughout their lifecycle has emerged as an imperative. At Flowatt, we’re doing this by combining cutting-edge battery science with data science and aiming to bridge the gaps between advanced energy storage technologies and long-term value creation for the ecosystem. Our unique BaaS model and tech ensure that India’s EV owners and fleet operators can make efficient data-driven decisions, while minimising costs and negative environmental impact. In the long run, we aspire to make EV adoption more affordable, accessible, profitable and sustainable.”

Manas Pal and Aditya Darolia, Co-Founders, PedalStart, said,: “As India accelerates towards large-scale electrification, Flowatt is solving one of the most pressing challenges in the nation’s EV ecosystem today- the economics of battery adoption. By shifting batteries from being a capital-heavy purchase to a flexible service offering, they are removing the biggest pain points with commercial EV adoption. Plus, their focus on battery assurance, lifecycle management and second-life applications makes them one of the most exciting deep-tech players today. We were impressed by the founding team’s domain experience and expertise, dedication to execution and vision, and are extremely happy to be a part of their growth story as Flowatt’s early believer, investor and backer.”

Flowatt offers real-time health monitoring and lifecycle underwriting through its in-house technology, which is designed to promote a circular energy economy by extending battery life and enabling second-life applications.

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Pune-headquartered software-defined vehicle development company KPIT Technologies has acquired a majority stake in N-Dream AG, the Swiss company behind the AirConsole platform. KPIT, which previously held a 26 percent share, will increase its ownership to nearly 90 percent.

N-Dream's AirConsole platform provides in-car gaming and is used by manufacturers including BMW, MINI, Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche. The acquisition strengthens KPIT’s position in the software-defined vehicle market and accelerates N-Dream’s mission to develop in-car digital experiences.

Andrin von Rechenberg, Founder, N-Dream, said, “What began as a bold idea in Switzerland has grown into a platform used by leading carmakers around the world. With KPIT’s partnership, our innovation culture and creative roots remain at the core of everything we do, while giving us the reach and resources to shape the future of in-car experiences.”

Anthony Cliquot, CEO, N-Dream AG, said, “By joining forces with KPIT, we can accelerate our mission to bring fantastic experiences to cars and their users. With KPIT’s scale and reach, we’re ready to take what we’ve built to a truly global audience.”

The AirConsole platform allows passengers to use their smartphones as controllers to play games on the car’s infotainment screen. N-Dream plans to expand its vision beyond gaming to develop a new generation of in-cabin software focused on interactivity, personalisation, and connected services.

Kishor Patil, CEO, KPIT Technologies, said, “N-Dream’s creativity and technology perfectly complement KPIT’s roadmap for next-generation mobility. Together, we will help define the next era of software-defined vehicles, where immersive, connected and personalised experiences are an integral part of driving.”

Following up to the move, N-Dream will remain an independent entity within the KPIT Group. Anthony Cliquot and Andrin von Rechenberg will continue to lead the company as CEO and Chief of Innovation, respectively.

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Polestar has launched Polestar Fleet Telematics, an advanced connected service designed to revolutionize the management of electric vehicle fleets. This powerful system delivers a continuous stream of real-time data and actionable insights, enabling operators to significantly boost efficiency and lower costs through smarter, predictive planning.

Seamlessly integrating with established fleet management platforms, it requires no additional hardware, simplifying adoption. Created in collaboration with partners Echoes, Geotab and High Mobility, the service also fosters an enhanced customer experience via a fully connected ecosystem. With its scalable architecture for global markets, the solution is available across the entire Polestar range, providing a uniform and sophisticated tool for international fleet operators.

Ramon Lingen, Head of Global Fleet and Pre-owned, said, “Given our extensive fleet customer base, this marks a major milestone for Polestar and a big step forward for our customers. Polestar Fleet Telematics combines sustainability with intelligence – empowering operators to make smarter, data-driven decisions that benefit both their business and the planet.”

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Adient, a global leader in car seating and Autoliv, a global supplier of car safety systems, have co-developed safety solutions to enhance occupant protection in deeply reclined or ‘zero-gravity’ seating positions. The solution, which is ready for mass production, combines Adient’s new seating concept ‘Z-Guard’ with Autoliv’s safety technology.

The partners stated that zero-gravity seating is seeing an increasing demand in mid-end to high-end vehicles. However, the reclined posture can reduce the effectiveness of safety systems designed for standard upright seating.

Adient’s Z-Guard is based on the principle of Multi-Dimensional Collaborative Protection and integrates constraint and energy-absorbing technologies into a dynamic safety system. Key innovations include:

• Active Cushion Collapse Mechanism: This feature rapidly collapses the seat frame in a crash to absorb energy and adjust posture, reducing spinal impact.
• Adjustable Seat Belt Outlet: This feature adapts to passenger posture and body type, enhancing restraint and minimising risks like shoulder slippage.

Autoliv’s technology complements this with an Integrated Seatbelt System, Dynamic Lumbar Retractor, Pelvic Cushion Airbag and Head Side Airbag. These systems work to protect the head, neck, chest and pelvis.

The Z-Guard concept also allows integration with vehicle driver assistance systems. Using predictive signals, it employs motor-driven seat repositioning to adjust the occupant’s posture before a collision to reduce injury risk. If a crash cannot be detected in time, Z-Guard provides protection through dual pretensioners, cushion buffering and a collapse mechanism to prevent forward movement.

Adient is leading the commercialisation of the Z-Guard, which is scheduled for production in a high-volume model from a major global OEM.

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