Latest news with #Adas
Mint
13-06-2025
- Automotive
- Mint
How tech is transforming the Indian car market
Six months ago, Honda launched a new iteration of its least expensive car in India: the Amaze. While it was a seemingly regular refresh of a mainstream car, the Amaze brought features not seen before in its segment: lane-keep assistance, adaptive cruise control, collision avoidance and road departure warning for as low as ₹12 lakh on-road. Honda isn't the only one. In 2021, homegrown carmaker Mahindra Auto launched its premium sports utility vehicle, the XUV700. It saw massive demand, contributing to Mahindra becoming India's second biggest carmaker by sales last month. Its key hook: car, priced ₹9 lakh onward, brought features that were so far largely reserved for luxury cars priced at around ₹50 lakh and above: remote car start control, remote air conditioning, live tracking and geofencing through a mobile app, autonomous braking and related advanced driver assistance system (Adas) features, a 'Smart Pilot' semi-autonomous driving mode, a 360-degree parking camera, and more. These features, along with the likes of tyre pressure monitoring, cameras on side mirrors, auto-dimming electronic mirrors, are becoming standard across cars priced at around ₹15 lakh. A decade ago, most cars in this segment showcased Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as their prime tech offerings, alongside branded speaker set-ups. The technology itself is on a steady evolution trajectory—basic Adas features are found in an increasing number of cars, while luxury carmakers are finding ways to use tech in indulgent ways. Theatres & intelligent seats 'I no longer press buttons or scroll through toggles, I simply speak with my car. For instance, I can tell my car to adjust the air conditioning if I'm feeling hot," Vikram Pawah, president, says BMW India. Pawah's proposition with BMW is of tech that provides lifestyle enhancement. The BMW i7, the company's flagship offering, features an 8K 'Theatre Screen'—a 31-inch fold-out display that can turn the car into a private theatre. While Adas features have continued to evolve alongside, the company has begun standardizing various technologies. 'Basic Adas features, for us, are a part of the standard offering even in our entry-level models—we view this as a necessity that customers demand in terms of safety. Even the curved display on the dashboard is a necessity to ensure that all the information is within the eye-level of the driver, minimizing the need for distractions," Pawah says. Santosh Iyer, managing director and chief executive of Mercedes-Benz India, concurs. 'We're now in the process of integrating a new operating system, which will integrate generative artificial intelligence—where the voice assistant in the car will learn from an owner's usage habits. For instance, a Mercedes-Benz car can automatically learn how a seat is configured based on daily usage trends, and adjust it based on the time of the day," Iyer said. Mercedes-Benz, in its flagship offering, the EQS SUV, offers a 56-inch 'Hyperscreen' that integrates all information across three separate display panels. While one caters to the driver and shows the mechanical essentials of the car, there is also a 17.7-inch infotainment display, and a third 12.3-inch display for the co-passenger riding up front. Both Pawah and Iyer believe that none of them take anything away from the primary features of their cars, either. 'Our focus remains on the driving experience, but the technology features ramp-up what we have on offer to showcase features that were never seen in cars before," Pawah said. Connected cars In the luxury segment, connected cars—vehicles with integrated connectivity that can relay information on weather and live traffic through a central server—have become the norm. 'We're using this today to work with governments and public bodies to try and improve road safety conditions, as well as roads themselves. This is a key part of our offering, and while it does add to the cost significantly in terms of engineering and integration of chips, it's a long-term benefit. Customers buying a car today, for instance, can receive software updates to their in-car system for eight or more years down the line—hence giving them incremental value over time," says Iyer. BMW, too, offers connected cars as a platform—in the long run, this data can be harvested for autonomous driving use cases. Buying decisions Car buyers, too, feel that tech features give them more bang for the buck. Noida-based 44-year-old IT professional, Anuraag K, says that he bought the new Honda City over a similar offering from Skoda because an equivalent variant of the car gave him access to Apple CarPlay wirelessly. 'It's a tiny thing for many people, but for me, it made a big difference—not having to keep my phone tethered to a wire," he said. Meanwhile, Aniket Hazra, a 28-year-old consultancy professional, says that he is considering the Mahindra XUV700 over SUV offerings from other brands 'because Mahindra's tech-laden aesthetics simply feel more premium—even closer to a Tesla." Consultants believe that technology is an imperative, but in terms of buying decisions, there could be diminishing room for differentiation. 'While there are some early movers, every carmaker is integrating most forms of Adas features and software-driven experiences to remain competitive. Buyers today are more tempted with tech features that are visible or can be experienced than what's under the hood. This is a clear way in which tech is impacting car-buying decisions," says Som Kapoor, automotive leader for EY India. In the long run, the differentiating aspect of technology will be agnostic of segments and will depend on how tactically useful the technology is. 'People today expect that if their phones can do a certain task, why can't their car? The key factor to note here is to analyze 'features leading to benefits'—the more value-added features a carmaker can integrate, the more will it lure in users to choose one car over another," says Kapoor .
The Irish Sun
05-06-2025
- The Irish Sun
Decapitated body of missing escort is found and her security guard client is arrested – as he gives harrowing confession
A WOMAN who vanished in Italy last month has been found brutally decapitated - after weeks of national concern over her disappearance. The body of Denisa Maria Adas Paun, 30, was discovered on Wednesday in a suitcase among brambles, her head found separately miles away in a field. Advertisement 5 Denisa Maria Adas Paun, 30, was found brutally murdered Credit: Jam Press 5 Her alleged killer decapitated her and callously disposed of her remains Credit: Jam Press 5 Vasile Frumuzache (in a blue shirt) was arrested for the murder Credit: Jam Press Adas was a Romanian national who lived in Italy's capital of Rome and worked as an escort, according to the prosecutor's office. She disappeared on May 15 from the Tuscan town of Prato, where she is said to have travelled for work. Vasile Frumuzache, a Romanian-born 32-year-old security guard, reportedly confessed to the horrific crime. Frumuzache was charged with murder and concealment of a corpse. Advertisement Read more world news The married father-of-two claimed to police that Adas threatened to tell his wife of their relationship unless he gave her €10,000 (£8,417). 'That's why I killed her,' he allegedly told police. Frumuzache strangled her, then used a knife to decapitate her before placing the body in a rubbish bag and stuffing it into a suitcase, Italian news outlet Corriere Fiorentino reports. The next day, he reportedly set fire to her head in a garden using gasoline. Advertisement Most read in The US Sun Adas gave her mother a call on May 15 during which she "seemed calm". "Hi Mum, I'm fine, see you at home on Saturday," she said. 5 Adas 'seemed calm' while on call with her mum - hours before her murder Credit: Jam Press Body found in search for missing woman who vanished 15 years ago – as suspect, 39, arrested over 'murder' But shortly after the call, both of Adas' phones were switched off - a detail her family called deeply suspicious. Advertisement Her mother soon went to police in Rome to report her missing. At first, investigators suspected she had left voluntarily - her phones, purse, car keys, two suitcases and the blanket she never travelled without were all missing. Her loved ones, however, were convinced something sinister had happened. A few days before her disappearance, Adas told a friend: 'I'm afraid I'm going to be killed,' local media report. Advertisement Detectives say Frumuzache entered the property where Adas was staying at 10.50pm on May 15, carrying a holdall. Shortly after 1am, he was seen leaving with the suitcase that she had brought with her from her home in Rome. It is believed her body was inside the suitcase. Detectives traced his journey to the spot where the body was found using GPS data from a tracker fitted to his car for insurance purposes. Advertisement Adas' body was discovered near an abandoned farmhouse in a rural part of Montecatini Terme, near Florence - around a half-hour drive from Prato. Her head was only found after Frumuzache disclosed its location during police questioning. Adas is believed to have been suffocated, but a post-mortem is expected to confirm the exact cause of death. 5 The mysterious disappearance of Denisa Maria Adas Paun gripped Italy Credit: Jam Press Advertisement
Scottish Sun
05-06-2025
- Scottish Sun
Decapitated body of missing escort is found and her security guard client is arrested – as he gives harrowing confession
Denisa Maria Adas told her friend 'I'm afraid I'm going to be killed' before her disappearance HORROR MURDER Decapitated body of missing escort is found and her security guard client is arrested – as he gives harrowing confession A WOMAN who vanished in Italy last month has been found brutally decapitated - after weeks of national concern over her disappearance. The body of Denisa Maria Adas Paun, 30, was discovered on Wednesday in a suitcase among brambles, her head found separately miles away in a field. 5 Denisa Maria Adas Paun, 30, was found brutally murdered Credit: Jam Press 5 Her alleged killer decapitated her and callously disposed of her remains Credit: Jam Press 5 Vasile Frumuzache (in a blue shirt) was arrested for the murder Credit: Jam Press Adas was a Romanian national who lived in Italy's capital of Rome and worked as an escort, according to the prosecutor's office. She disappeared on May 15 from the Tuscan town of Prato, where she is said to have travelled for work. Vasile Frumuzache, a Romanian-born 32-year-old security guard, reportedly confessed to the horrific crime. Frumuzache was charged with murder and concealment of a corpse. Read more world news PHEOBE TWIST Missing teen's housemates charged with murder 21 days after she vanished The married father-of-two claimed to police that Adas threatened to tell his wife of their relationship unless he gave her €10,000 (£8,417). 'That's why I killed her,' he allegedly told police. Frumuzache strangled her, then used a knife to decapitate her before placing the body in a rubbish bag and stuffing it into a suitcase, Italian news outlet Corriere Fiorentino reports. The next day, he reportedly set fire to her head in a garden using gasoline. The 30-year-old gave her mother a call on May 15 during which she "seemed calm". She told her mother: "Hi Mum, I'm fine, see you at home on Saturday." 5 Adas 'seemed calm' while on call with her mum - hours before her murder Credit: Jam Press Body found in search for missing woman who vanished 15 years ago – as suspect, 39, arrested over 'murder' But shortly after the call, both of Adas' phones were switched off - a detail her family called deeply suspicious. Her mum soon went to police in Rome to report her missing. At first, investigators suspected she had left voluntarily - her phones, purse, car keys, two suitcases and the blanket she never travelled without were all missing. Her loved ones, however, were convinced something sinister had happened. A few days before her disappearance, Adas told a friend: 'I'm afraid I'm going to be killed,' local media report. Detectives say Frumuzache entered the property where Adas was staying at 10.50pm on May 15, carrying a holdall. Shortly after 1am, he was seen leaving with the suitcase that she had brought with her from her home in Rome. It is believed her body was inside the suitcase. Detectives traced his journey to the spot where the body was found using GPS data from a tracker fitted to his car for insurance purposes. Adas' body was discovered near an abandoned farmhouse in a rural part of Montecatini Terme, near Florence - around a half-hour drive from Prato. Her head was only found after Frumuzache disclosed its location during police questioning. Adas is believed to have been suffocated. A post-mortem is expected to confirm the exact cause of death.
Business Times
28-05-2025
- Automotive
- Business Times
Digital tech will fuel Asia's US$573 billion mobility market
ASIA is expected to have the world's largest mobility market by 2035, thanks to technological developments, infrastructure investments and a growing middle class eager to spend on next-generation transport. While other regions will see significant growth in electric vehicle (EV) charging, ride-hailing, car rentals and advanced driver-assistance systems (Adas), the Asian market is set to climb from US$161 billion in 2023 to US$573 billion by 2035 and account for half of the global market, which is expected to be $1.1 trillion, according to research by the Oliver Wyman Forum. Some Asian nations, like China, are at an advantage in deploying cutting-edge mobility technology thanks to access to massive amounts of data available, significant investments in infrastructure, and a rich ecosystem of leading startups and workforce talent. Consumers are also eager to adopt these new solutions, translating into an above-average willingness to pay more for these services compared to those from other regions. And while global tariff circumstances may hinder development to some extent, much of Asia's mobility growth will come from digital services that may be less sensitive to potential trade barriers within the region. These mobility services are fuelling Asia's next decade: Advanced driver-assistance systems Capital and technical expertise from the region's leading tech firms and fierce competition between Asia's equipment manufacturers are accelerating the development of 'Level 2 and 3' driver-assist abilities. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up These features offer partial autonomous features, such as steering and acceleration, to decision-making abilities, like moving past a slow-moving vehicle. Those forces are enabling Asia's Adas market to skyrocket by 56 per cent annually, from US$798 million in 2023 to a likely US$170 billion by 2035. Asian consumers also are more willing to pay a premium for an autonomous vehicle, and more eager to switch car brands for better driver assistance offerings than consumers in other regions, according to an Oliver Wyman Forum survey of more than 16,700 respondents in 17 nations completed in the last quarter of 2024. Some 68 per cent of consumers from India, Indonesia, Hong Kong and Singapore are willing to pay premium prices for autonomous features, compared to the global average of 61 per cent. Additionally, 91 per cent would switch car brands to access superior driver-assistance systems – again, higher than the 82 per cent global average. And while recent accidents with driver-assistance technology in the region may shake consumer sentiment in the short term, the market is still set to grow exponentially. Government and industry players are accelerating investment and on-road testing of autonomous vehicles, particularly in China. At least 16 cities across China, for example, allow autonomous vehicle providers to test on public roads, with roughly 20 Chinese automakers and suppliers involved as at 2024. In 2034, China is projected to sell enough 'Level 4' autonomous vehicles – those that are fully autonomous under certain conditions – that it nearly matches that of the combined American and European markets, according to an S&P forecast. Private capital is following Asia's lead. The region's entire value chain, from autonomous driving startups to microchip suppliers, secured US$6.5 billion in 2024, more than double the US$2.9 billion raised in 2023, according to an Oliver Wyman analysis. Ride-hailing Ride-hailing in the region is expected to almost double in size to US$150 billion, up from US$98 billion at a 3.6 per cent annual rate, as a growing middle class seeks more convenient travel in dense cities – some of which have restrictive paths to car ownership. That is a larger market size than the combined forecast for Europe, Africa, the Middle East and North America, which is expected to be roughly US$134 billion. Nearly three-fourths of Asian consumers regularly use ride-hailing services – far exceeding the global average of 44 per cent, according to an Oliver Wyman Forum survey. Super-app providers have boosted this demand by creating seamless ecosystems that make ride-hailing more affordable than in Western markets. Asian consumers pay an average of US$0.92 per kilometre compared to US$2.34 in Europe and US$1.78 in North America, research by Oliver Wyman Forum found. Across Asia, proactive regulation will continue to grow the market: Japan lifted a ban on ride-hailing services in Tokyo in 2024, with services now operating in all 47 of Japan's prefectures as of 2025. Elsewhere, Singapore's Land Transport Authority granted two provisional licences to ride-hailing operators to begin operating in 2025, while one ride-hailing platform began operating in Hong Kong in November 2024. Electric vehicle charging Asia is historically a leader in EV adoption, particularly in China, but many other Asian economies are following suit. EV sales rose 40 per cent from 2023 to 2024 in the region's emerging and developing economies, according to the International Energy Agency. Indeed, roughly 43 per cent of consumers in Asia plan to buy an EV, according to a November 2024 Oliver Wyman Forum survey, compared to the global average of 38 per cent. A widening EV market share in Asia is in part fuelling a charging services industry that is expected to grow from US$1.9 billion in 2023 to US$27 billion by 2035, at a 25 per cent annual rate. Many providers and governments are working in tandem to accommodate strong consumer demand. One Chinese automaker, for example, announced in March 2025 an ultra-fast charging system that it claims can power up a battery nearly as fast as refuelling a petrol-powered car. Elsewhere, Singapore aims to build 60,000 charging points by 2030. The broader EV ecosystem – from raw material miners to battery manufacturers and recyclers – is also expanding through a surge in venture capital into startups that support the full battery life cycle. Chinese startups collected US$5.3 billion in funding between 2021 and 2024, according to an Oliver Wyman analysis. The writers are from Oliver Wyman. Dr Andreas Nienhaus is a partner in the firm's automotive and mobility, and private capital practices. He is also co-lead of its think tank Oliver Wyman Forum's mobility initiative. Frank Fang is a principal in Oliver Wyman's transportation and advanced industrials practice, and Jonas Junk is an engagement manager in the firm's automotive and mobility practice.
New Straits Times
14-05-2025
- Automotive
- New Straits Times
Haulage firms push for driver background checks, digital safety systems
KUALA LUMPUR: Employers in the haulage industry currently lack access to a centralised platform for screening drivers' criminal or drug-related records, says Association of Malaysia Hauliers (AMH). Its executive secretary Mohamad Azuan Masud said, "There is no formal platform to vet drivers' backgrounds. We rely on personal or previous employer references." He also pointed out that the Kejara demerit points system, used for tracking traffic offences, was not accessible to employers for screening purposes. In response to Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's recent call for company owners to take greater responsibility for accidents involving their vehicles, Azuan stressed that haulage companies were already held accountable through stringent regulations. These include the Industry Code of Practice (ICOP) audits conducted by the Road Transport Department (RTD). "What the deputy prime minister said is not new. ICOP audits are already in place and actively enforced," Azuan said. "These audits ensure that operators comply with essential safety protocols, such as fire preparedness and safety briefings. Failure to meet these standards can lead to the suspension or revocation of operating permits." He also highlighted the thorough vehicle inspections carried out at Puspakom, ensuring technical compliance with regional standards. Despite the existing oversight, AMH is urging the government to support the adoption of advanced digital safety systems like onboard cameras and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (Adas), which could further enhance safety. "We've proposed these technologies, but the cost is prohibitive for many operators. Government funding is needed to make them viable," he added. As part of the National Logistics Task Force (NLTF), AMH has submitted both short-term and long-term recommendations to the Transport Ministry and is awaiting the government's response. Zahid made the remarks following a tragic crash in Teluk Intan, Perak, where a rock-laden lorry collided with a vehicle carrying 18 Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) personnel, resulting in nine fatalities. The deputy prime minister stressed that such accidents could be prevented if companies took full responsibility for the condition of their vehicles and the drivers they employ.
