GMTC-I plays an important role in GM’s global core business

Joining Nicholson at the REEV unveiling, Brian McMurray, GMTC-I Vice president engineering and operations, said the intellectual horsepower of GM's designers and engineers in India was further demonstrated in the team's 71 technical papers accepted by FISITA, covering various innovation areas.

"As well as looking to the future of personal mobility, GMTC-I plays an important role in GM's global core business: designing and engineering world-class vehicles that inspire passion for safer tomorrow," said McMurray.

"At FISITA, GM has deployed the virtual reality facility to provide real-life experience of car crashes and GM's safety technology to the public. As well as being a site to find out more about exciting careers at GMTC-I, our FISITA stalls also provide technology demonstrations and the opportunity to discuss automotive design, engineering and innovation with our team."

A new addition to the team is MITRA, an AI-powered robot helper. The robot was previously showcased at the World Entrepreneurship Summit in 2017 and is designed by Bangalore based startup firm Invento Robotics. The indigenous MITRA which runs on a proprietary OS, mans the GMTC-I stall at FISITA and engage with the visitors on various queries. The humanoid comes with a touchscreen on its chest and understands multiple languages that enables it to engage in smart conversations with the guest.

Though from outset it seems to be a conventional competition, yet it has rewritten the rules, driven by the needs of the Indian economy to have an energy efficient solution for automobiles. REEV competition will explore the new age technology in the automotive Industry such as Hybridization, Light-weighting, Optimization, Range extension, fuel awareness etc. Through this competition, GMTC-I and SAE Bangalore aim to engage the next generation of engineers making them industry ready and help change the world.

It further aims to inspire students and universities in the wake of Government of India's plan of at least 30% on-road electric vehicles by 2030. Alternatively then, the competition offers an opportunity to make personal mobility safer and more sustainable for the customers.