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he automobile sector is witnessing several disruptions and traditional OEMS can no longer play safe. Various smartphone companies are stepping into the automotive race and taking the charge to bring transformation in the sector with focus on electric vehicles and autonomous driving technology. Listed below are some global smartphone majors that are vying to scoop a chunk of the electric, autonomous car-market pie.

OPPO

The latest Chinese smartphone maker foraying into the automotive space, Oppo is working on understanding how to build a car and is yet to formally start the project, according to reports. However, the company is already a major player when it comes to self-driving technology with several patents in the area and is expected to use the expertise to build its first-ever car. The vehicle is expected to be electric with autonomous driving tech.

HUAWEI

Chinese smartphone giant Huawei showcased its first electric vehicle, SF5, at the Shanghai Auto Show last month. The hybrid car has been developed in association with Seres. It gets a 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine that acts as a generator and produces power for the battery pack that delivers energy to up to two electric motors — a combined power output of 551 PS and 820 Nm of torque. It’s capable of accelerating from 0–100 kmph in about 4.7 seconds and can run up to 180 kilometre on electric mode alone.

XIAOMI

This Chinese smartphone maker, too, is working to join the electric car space. Xiaomi’s founder Lei Jun, in a live broadcast, revealed that the first electric car from the brand will either be a sedan or an SUV. He also hinted that the car could be priced between CNY 1,00,000 and CNY 3,00,000 (approximately ₹11 lakh to ₹35 lakh). The tech company also plans to invest $10 billion for the EV project. Though details about the car are yet to be known, it’s expected to take about three years before it hits the roads.

APPLE

Apple had started its electric autonomous vehicle programme, Project Titan, back in 2014, with more than 1,000 car experts and engineers. After several headwinds in the development phase, the company confirmed in December 2020 that it’s working to launch a car in the next three to six years. Though unlikely to be affordable, the car may pave the way for improved tech to make way inside cars of the future. “An autonomous car is a robot and so there are a lot of things you can do with autonomy,” the company’s chief Tim Cook said in a podcast last month.

SONY

This electronics giant showcased its Vision-s electric car concept at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2020, and at CES 2021 in January, Sony revealed that its EV is undergoing public road testing in Austria to evaluate safety. According to the company, Vision-s is equipped with 33 sensors and 360-degree Reality Audio. It gets a dual electric motor setup with two 200 kw electric motors and all-wheel drive. However, according to reports, the company will not mass produce the vehicle and is only using it as a test bed for future technologies, especially autonomous driving.

Mahindra has rolled out Oxygen on Wheels (O2W), a free service to help deliver oxygen cylinders to various hospitals and medical centres in Maharashtra and Delhi amid the grim situation presented by the Covid-19 pandemic. At least seven cities in

Maharashtra — including Mumbai, Thane and Pune — are benefitting from over a hundred Bolero pickups that are a part of the initiative. In Delhi, SOS oxygen cylinders are being sent to hospitals from the Rajghat and Mayapuri oxygen depots.

Huawei Seres SF5 electric SUV