Connected Cars in India: The Future Is Already Here

By Sponsored Content | Updated: 13 January 2017 12:35 IST

Internet of things (IoT), has already gained popularity the world over, where your common household devices and functions are all connected to the Internet, and can be remotely accessed by the owner. A similar concept lies behind a new trend in automotive, known as connected cars.

With electric vehicles picking up steam and proving to be immensely more efficient than their combustion-based counterparts while giving out zero emissions, there's bound to be more positive development on that front.

The idea is simple — a car that's capable of communicating to devices (within itself or external), via the Internet qualifies as a connected car. So while you may have a separate stereo system, GPS navigator, locking system, engine, etc. each with its own set of functions, diagnostics, and interface, in a connected car, all these separate components would be able to communicate with each other through a central system. This connected system will be accessible to the car owner or driver, within the car itself and even online. Not only does this allow the driving experience to get a lot smarter, but will help you get better diagnostics and alerts before things go wrong.

Imagine telling the car to "prepare for my office drive", and it sets up navigation with traffic conditions, tunes into your favourite driving music or radio station and sets the AC temperature that's just right for you. The connected car may seem like a great concept, but one that seems like a distant future for Indian automotive enthusiasts. But there's one car that already is connected, and affordable too — the Mahindra e2oPlus.

For years the Mahindra e2o has been the first name in electric cars in India, with cars that make city commuting comfortable and affordable. The compact hatchback with its comfortable seating for four passengers and negligible running cost of just 70 paise per kilometre, is a unique combination to begin with. It's topped by the zero-emissions added bonus!

What this means for you is that you can remotely perform a number of functions like pre-cooling the car to a temperature that's right for you, remote lock or unlock and get a read out on the car's charge — all through a mobile app. That's not it, you can also monitor the car's health, get diagnostic reports and metrics and even charging schedules remotely on your app. You don't even have to be in the car to know that it needs a charge.

The e2oPlus comes with 10 on-board computers to track your car's performance and health, so you can track all the minor details without even being a car expert. This data is also sent to Mahindra, which means that the company will have all the information to fix an issue before it even appears. Basically, all you need to keep your focus on is enjoying the drive.

Speaking of driving, the e2oPlus will help you improve that as well. It tracks your driving patterns and gives you feedback on things you can do to improve your car's overall efficiency. The same stats also help Mahindra review your car's individual service requirements.

One of the bigger concerns with electric vehicles is running out of charge before you can get to a charging point. While e2oPlus gives you 110-140 kilometres of range on a single charge, it also offers regenerative braking that gives you additional charge every time you decelerate your vehicle. Besides, the e2oPlus also comes with Mahindra's patented REVive technology that gives you an additional 5-10km range to the closest charging point.

It’s not just that you don’t have to stand in long queues at petrol pumps or don’t have to worry about uncertainty when getting your car serviced, but also the way you interact with your car. e2oPlus, being a connected car, can be checked upon with your mobile app wherever you are. It’s the difference between returning back from vacation and finding out that your car is out of fuel; and checking your car’s charge level on the way back so there isn’t an unpleasant surprise waiting for you back home.

All these features add up to make a big difference in the way you use personal transport. That’s the difference a connected car makes.

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