Mahindra’s Adrenox – the connected car system

Let’s try to decode Mahindra’s Adrenox connected car system. The TCU (Telematics Control Unit), developed by BOSCH, is the main unit responsible for allowing the vehicle to interact with the cloud infrastructure provided by AWS (Amazon Web Services). The TCU includes a built-in eSIM provided by Vodafone Idea, with a subscription cost ranging between ₹2,499 and ₹5,999 per year, as reported by users.

In a vehicle, there are many sensors that collect information and report it to their respective computers, also known as Electronic Control Units (ECUs). For example, the ABS sensor reports to the ABS module (the computer responsible for the braking system), while door lock status is reported to the BCM (Body Control Module). All these computers provide information to the TCU, which further stores the data in real time on the cloud infrastructure. Through this system, users can fetch real-time information about their vehicle via the app on their mobile devices. Many vehicle features can also be controlled remotely as per the user’s requirements.

For example, if the owner of the vehicle wants to switch on the A/C from their office so that the cabin remains cool by the time they reach the parking area, they can open the Adrenox app and tap the option to switch on the A/C. The request is sent to the cloud server, where the information is verified. The request is then transmitted to the vehicle with the help of the eSIM, and the TCU interacts with the HVAC control unit to switch on the A/C. The vehicle then sends back confirmation that the A/C has been switched on.

There are many other remote features that vehicle owners can use with the help of the Adrenox system. Although the vehicle continuously interacts with the server, the battery consumption is still not very high, according to vehicle manufacturers.



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