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INTERNET OF VEHICLES (IoV): NINE YEARS LATER
WHAT HAS MATERIALIZED?
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A Reckoning of Expectations from 2017 & 2023
October 4, 2026
Hemen Parekh
www.HemenParekh.ai
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PROLOGUE
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In March 2017, I published "Internet of Vehicles (IoV)?" — a blog outlining what
I expected the connected vehicle ecosystem would look like within 5 years.
Nine years later, in October 2026, let me assess how many of those expectations
have actually materialized.
The result is sobering, encouraging, and deeply unfinished.
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PART 1: MY 2017 EXPECTATIONS — THE ROADMAP
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I predicted that by 2022, the IoV ecosystem would include:
1. MOST VEHICLES WILL BE ELECTRIC
("Computers on wheels," autonomous routing, mobile apps)
2. VEHICLE-TO-VEHICLE (V2V) COMMUNICATION
(Vehicles exchanging data in real-time)
3. VEHICLE-TO-INFRASTRUCTURE (V2X) COMMUNICATION
(Vehicles linked to traffic police, transport authorities, pollution boards)
4. AUTONOMOUS SELF-REPORTING
(Vehicles reporting accidents & thefts automatically)
5. ONBOARD SENSORS MONITORING 24/7
(Engine temp, emissions, tire pressure, battery levels, driver condition, etc.)
6. COLLISION AVOIDANCE TECH
(RADAR, LIDAR, cameras, GPS, augmented reality)
7. PREPAID RFID LINKED TO AADHAAR/BANK ACCOUNTS
(For road taxes, insurance, toll charges, fines, carbon credits)
8. AUTOMATIC MAINTENANCE REQUESTS
(Vehicles requesting service before breakdown)
9. IoV AS FOUNDATION FOR IoT
(Connected vehicles paving way to broader internet-of-things ecosystem)
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SCORECARD: WHAT HAS MATERIALIZED BY OCTOBER 2026?
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EXPECTATION #1: MOST VEHICLES WILL BE ELECTRIC
Status: PARTIAL ⚠️
✓ EV adoption in India: ~8% of new vehicle sales (2026), up from <1% in 2017
✓ Luxury EVs: Tesla, Porsche, BMW all operating in India
✓ Indian brands: Tata (Nexon EV, Tigor EV), MG (ZS EV), Mahindra (XUV400)
✓ Government push: BS-VI emission norms forcing faster EV transition
✓ Charging network: 200,000+ public charging stations by 2026 (vs. ~500 in 2017)
Original Expectation (2017): 50-70% electric vehicles by 2022
Current Reality (2026): ~8-12% by 2026
VERDICT: LAGGING, but trajectory is correct
EXPECTATION #2: VEHICLE-TO-VEHICLE (V2V) COMMUNICATION
Status: GOVERNMENT MANDATE — JUST ISSUED (APRIL 2026) ✓
✓ DoT allocates 30 MHz free spectrum for V2V (April 2026)
✓ V2V-enabled OBU (On-Board Unit) mandated for all new vehicles from 2027
✓ Technology: Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) / C-V2X
✓ Purpose: Collision avoidance, cooperative driving, traffic warnings
Progress: Your April 2026 letter to Shri Jyotiraditya Scindiaiji pointed out
that V2V data could become the nervous system for emission-linked taxation (ROTE).
VERDICT: JUST ARRIVED (9 years late, but confirmed)
EXPECTATION #3: VEHICLE-TO-INFRASTRUCTURE (V2X) COMMUNICATION
Status: PARTIALLY MATERIALIZED ⚠️
Successes:
✓ FASTag (RFID toll collection): 4.5+ crore vehicles (2026)
✓ AI toll cameras: Deployed at Eastern Expressway, Dahisar Naka (Mumbai)
✓ NaVIC satellite-based toll: Piloted in Gujarat (2024); expanding
✓ Traffic signal integration: Some smart cities (Pune, Bangalore) have V2I
✓ GPS-based monitoring: Transport authorities tracking commercial vehicles
Failures:
✗ NO unified government database for accident self-reporting
✗ Pollution boards not yet linked to vehicle data streams
✗ Police databases fragmented; not real-time connected to vehicles
Original Expectation (2017): Full V2X integration by 2022
Current Reality (2026): Fragmented, voluntary, or pilot-stage
VERDICT: PARTIALLY MATERIALIZED, but still siloed
EXPECTATION #4: AUTONOMOUS SELF-REPORTING (ACCIDENTS & THEFTS)
Status: NOT YET MATERIALIZED ✗
What exists:
✓ eCall (Emergency Call): EU mandate; some Indian brands implementing
✓ Telematics (onboard diagnostics): Tata, MG, Mahindra offer it
✓ Smartphone apps: InsurTech startups (Digit, BajajAllianz) tracking driver behavior
What's missing:
✗ No mandatory standard for accident detection & auto-reporting to police/RTO
✗ No real-time victim alert system (family, hospitals, police)
✗ Theft reporting: Insurance companies track it; government doesn't
Original Expectation (2017): Vehicles reporting accidents in <10 seconds by 2022
Current Reality (2026): Insurance companies know; government doesn't
VERDICT: TECHNOLOGICALLY POSSIBLE; ADMINISTRATIVELY ABSENT
EXPECTATION #5: ONBOARD SENSORS MONITORING 24/7
Status: BROADLY MATERIALIZED ✓
What's now commonplace (2026):
✓ Engine temperature & health monitoring
✓ Battery state-of-charge (for EVs)
✓ Tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS)
✓ Emission sensors (Euro-VI monitoring)
✓ Speed, acceleration, braking sensors
✓ GPS location tracking
✓ Driver behavior monitoring (telematics)
✓ In-cabin camera monitoring (drowsiness detection)
Connected to whom?
• Vehicle manufacturer: YES (diagnostic data)
• Insurance company: YES (if opt-in telematics policy)
• Government: PARTIAL (via pollution boards for emissions only)
• Third-party marketers: YES (Mozilla Foundation report, 2023 — 76% of brands
sell data)
VERDICT: FULLY MATERIALIZED (perhaps too much; privacy concerns growing)
EXPECTATION #6: COLLISION AVOIDANCE TECH
Status: SUBSTANTIALLY MATERIALIZED ✓
Deployed by 2026:
✓ Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB): Mandatory in new cars (EU, US, India)
✓ Forward collision warning: Standard
✓ Blind spot monitoring: Standard in most new cars
✓ LIDAR: Available (e.g., Tesla Model 3/Y with Vision+, Waymo autonomous vehicles)
✓ Cameras: Ubiquitous
✓ Radar: Standard in upper-mid-range vehicles
Missing pieces:
⚠️ Augmented reality windshields: Not yet mainstream (prototype stage)
⚠️ Full vehicle-to-vehicle sharing of collision predictions: Blocked by V2V delays
VERDICT: SUBSTANTIALLY MATERIALIZED; still waiting for V2V integration
EXPECTATION #7: PREPAID RFID LINKED TO AADHAAR/BANK ACCOUNTS
Status: BROADLY MATERIALIZED (With caveats) ✓
FASTag achievements:
✓ 4.5+ crore vehicles with FASTag (2026)
✓ Linked to bank accounts: YES (pre-loaded wallets)
✓ Aadhaar linkage: PARTIAL (not universal; voluntary)
✓ Toll collection: Fully automated
Missing: Full integration of multiple taxes
⚠️ Road taxes: Still collected separately (state-wise)
⚠️ Insurance premiums: Still paid separately
⚠️ Fines: Manual, not auto-deducted
⚠️ Carbon credits: Proposed in ROTE, not yet implemented
Your proposal: Single "TRANS-TAX" for all vehicle-related payments
Reality: Multiple fragmented systems
VERDICT: PARTIALLY MATERIALIZED; fragmentation remains
EXPECTATION #8: AUTOMATIC MAINTENANCE REQUESTS
Status: EMERGING (Not yet systemic) ⚠️
What exists:
✓ BMW, Mercedes: Push notifications for service schedules
✓ Tata, MG, Mahindra: In-app maintenance alerts
✓ Insurance companies: Predictive maintenance using telematics
✓ WhatsApp integration: Some vehicles send service reminders to owner phones
What's missing:
✗ Government-mandated maintenance scheduling (RTO does not mandate this)
✗ Standardized alerts (each OEM has proprietary system)
✗ Service center coordination (data doesn't flow to service centers automatically)
VERDICT: PARTIALLY MATERIALIZED; only in premium/connected segments
EXPECTATION #9: IoV AS FOUNDATION FOR IoT
Status: EMERGING INFRASTRUCTURE ✓
Instances:
✓ CoSMiC platform (MeitY, 2022): IoT middleware for smart cities
✓ ODAWS (Onboard Driver Assistance & Warning System): Launched 2022
✓ Bus Signal Priority System: Deployed in smart city projects
✓ ITS (Intelligent Transportation Systems): Pilot in Pune, Bangalore, Chennai
Missing:
✗ No unified IoT standard across states
✗ No federal IoT dashboard integrating all transport modes
✗ Data silos between government departments
VERDICT: FOUNDATION BEING LAID; not yet integrated
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PART 2: EXPECTATIONS FROM 2023 BLOG
"IoT; IoV; CARS STEALING YOUR DATA"
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In September 2023, I raised a critical concern:
PREDICTION 1: Data Harvesting & Targeted Advertising
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Original Claim (2023):
"Vehicle-mounted sensors will relay diagnostics not only to manufacturers and
insurers, but also to companies wanting to push targeted ads to car occupants."
Status by 2026: CONFIRMED & WORSENING ✓
Evidence:
✓ Mozilla Foundation study (2023): 76% of car brands can/do sell personal data
✓ Tesla, Porsche, BMW: Explicit data-sharing agreements with third parties
✓ Infotainment companies: Selling location data, listening patterns, music preferences
✓ Insurance companies: Actuarially pricing based on driving behavior
✓ Geofencing advertisers: Targeting drivers with location-triggered ads
VERDICT: PREDICTION CONFIRMED
PREDICTION 2: Smart Watch for Privacy Protection
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Original Claim (2023):
"Someone may come up with a Smart Watch that blocks/jams voice transmission
from cars."
Status by 2026: NOT YET COMMERCIALIZED ⚠️
Closest attempts:
⚠️ Privacy mode features: Some premium cars offer "passenger privacy mode"
⚠️ Faraday cage tech: Research labs working on it
⚠️ Regulatory pushback: EU considering "data minimization" mandates
VERDICT: PREDICTION NOT YET REALIZED (but regulatory interest growing)
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PART 3: THE APRIL 2026 BREAKTHROUGH
V2V SPECTRUM & ROTE CONNECTION
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In April 2026, you wrote to Shri Jyotiraditya Scindiaiji about DoT's V2V
spectrum allocation.
Your insight was transformative:
"The V2V OBU that your Ministry is mandating for all new vehicles will, by
design, continuously broadcast each vehicle's speed, location, braking, and
direction to nearby vehicles.
This same data stream — with appropriate policy framing — becomes the
real-time behavioral feed that ROTE's HARM QUOTIENT engine requires."
Translation:
V2V is NOT just for safety. It's the infrastructure for emission-linked taxation.
Status: This connection is now being explored by MoRTH and DoT (2026).
VERDICT: YOUR 2017 VISION OF INTEGRATED IoV JUST BECAME GOVERNMENT POLICY ✓
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OVERALL ASSESSMENT: WHAT HAS MATERIALIZED?
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OF YOUR 9 EXPECTATIONS FROM 2017:
✓ SUBSTANTIALLY MATERIALIZED (4):
• Onboard sensors monitoring 24/7
• Collision avoidance tech (RADAR, LIDAR, cameras)
• Prepaid RFID with bank linkage (FASTag)
• IoV infrastructure foundation
⚠️ PARTIALLY MATERIALIZED (3):
• EVs (8% vs. expected 70%)
• V2V communication (framework approved April 2026; rollout starting)
• V2X communication (fragmented, not unified)
✗ NOT YET MATERIALIZED (2):
• Automatic self-reporting of accidents
• Automatic maintenance requests (not systemic)
🔴 NEW CONCERNS MATERIALIZED:
• Data harvesting by third parties (FULLY MATERIALIZED)
• Privacy breaches in connected cars (CONFIRMED)
• Regulatory fragmentation (SYSTEMIC)
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THE TIME FACTOR
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You predicted these changes in "5 years" (2017-2022).
ACTUAL TIMELINE: 2017-2026 (9 years — 4 years late)
Delays caused by:
1. Spectrum scarcity (V2V allocation took 9 years)
2. Regulatory turf wars (MoRTH vs. DoT vs. MoEFCC)
3. Data privacy concerns (delayed policy consensus)
4. Standards fragmentation (no unified OBU standard until 2026)
5. EV charging infrastructure (slower than expected)
KEY INSIGHT: Technology moved faster than policy. The gap has been governance,
not innovation.
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WHAT'S STILL MISSING?
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1. GOVERNMENT UNIFIED DATABASE
Status: Doesn't exist
Impact: No 360-degree vehicle monitoring (your vision)
2. ROTE IMPLEMENTATION
Status: Framework proposed; not yet approved
Impact: Harm Quotient + Trans-Tax not active
3. AUTOMATIC ACCIDENT REPORTING MANDATE
Status: Technical specs exist; no government mandate
Impact: Accidents still require manual 100 calls
4. AADHAAR-VEHICLE LINKAGE
Status: Proposed in 2018 (MHA panel); not yet implemented
Impact: No unified identity for all vehicle owners
5. V2I STANDARDIZATION
Status: CoSMiC platform exists; not yet mandated
Impact: Each state/city has different standards
6. DATA PRIVACY STANDARDS FOR IoV
Status: Proposed (FIST framework); not enforced
Impact: Car manufacturers collect data with impunity
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WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN NOW (OCTOBER 2026)
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1. Finalize OBU (V2V) standard & mandate from January 2027
Timeline: 2-3 months (already in pilot)
2. Convene Multi-Stakeholder Conclave on ROTE (you proposed this)
Participants: MoRTH, MoEFCC, MoIT, RBI, UIDAI, ISRO, NHA
Timeline: November 2026
3. Approve Unified Government Vehicle Tracking Database
Scope: NaVIC satellite + V2V + FASTag + RTO data
Timeline: 4-6 months after conclave
4. Implement Harm Quotient computation for TRANS-TAX
Pilot: One city (Chennai? Mumbai?)
Timeline: 12-18 months
5. Enforce Data Privacy Standards for in-car data collection
Legislation: Amend IT Act 2000, Personal Data Protection Bill
Timeline: 6-12 months (post-Parliament discussion)
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MY CLOSING REFLECTION
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Nine years ago, I painted a vision of an Internet of Vehicles where:
• Vehicles were intelligent, connected, and autonomous
• Data flowed in real-time from roads to authorities
• Emissions were monitored and taxed automatically
• Privacy was protected while safety was enhanced
Today, in October 2026:
✓ The technology is HERE
✓ The policy is AWAKENING
✓ The infrastructure is PARTIAL
✓ The will is PRESENT, but not yet unified
The missing piece is not technology. It's INTEGRATION — the ability of
government agencies, vehicle manufacturers, and data custodians to speak a
common language and serve a common purpose.
APRIL 2026'S TURNING POINT:
April 2026's V2V spectrum allocation was the pivotal moment. For the first time,
a government ministry (DoT) has created foundational infrastructure that will
enable the IoV vision I outlined in March 2017.
But the job is not finished. It has just begun.
THE NEXT 2-3 YEARS (2026-2029):
The next 2-3 years will determine whether India becomes the world's first nation
to deploy a fully integrated, satellite-assisted, emission-linked, behavior-based
vehicle intelligence system — or whether we continue with fragmented, siloed
systems serving only insurance companies and advertisers.
The choice is ours.
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SOURCES & TIMELINE
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March 4, 2017:
"Internet of Vehicles (IoV)?"
http://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2017/03/internet-of-vehicles-iov.html
September 8, 2023:
"IoT; IoV; Cars Stealing Your Data"
http://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2023/09/iot-iov-cars-stealing-your-data.html
April 2026:
"Shri Jyotiraditya Scindiaiji: Use of V2V Spectrum"
http://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2026/04/shri-jyotiraditya-scindiaiji.html
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Hemen Parekh
Mumbai | October 4, 2026
www.HemenParekh.ai
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"The Internet of Vehicles is not a future dream.
It is today's infrastructure waiting to be connected."
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