A Review of Mr. Prasad U. Kulkarni’s Distinguished Speaker Address at “The Future of Automotive Testing Conference,” held in Novi, Michigan, USA.
Engineering Safer Electric Vehicles — A Path to Greener Mobility Adoption
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
As the global transition to electric mobility accelerates, the conversation around sustainability and emissions is now being joined by an equally critical theme — safety. At the recent Future of Automotive Testing Conference, part of the Automotive Testing Expo USA held in Novi, Michigan, industry expert Mr. Prasad U. Kulkarni from Mahindra Automotive North America delivered a compelling keynote titled: “Engineering Safer EV Structures: The Next Frontier in Body-in-White Design.”
Mr. Kulkarni, with over 25 years of experience in automotive structural design, is widely regarded as an authority in Body-in-White (BIW) engineering. He was instrumental in achieving a lighter and safer body shell for an award-winning compact sedan from Tata Motors. His proactive and insightful contributions during the development of the first-ever notchback vehicle from the Tata Group resulted in the creation of India’s largest-selling compact ICE and Hybrid sedan.
His leadership and foundational research in high-strength and ultra-high-strength steels, along with his efforts in popularizing hot-formed steel technologies, have helped achieve top safety ratings for vehicle structures at Volvo Eicher and, more recently, in Mahindra Group vehicles.
Mr. Kulkarni has made significant contributions to the international automotive body structure design community, making Family Travel Safety on Roads a personal mission throughout his engineering career. He currently serves as a member of the U.S. Technical Advisory Group (USTAG) for ISO standardization and acts as an expert advisor on various SAE committees. A Fellow of the Institution of Engineers (India) and a certified reviewer for SAE and scientific journals, he continues to advocate for the integration of safety, sustainability, and innovation in modern vehicle engineering.
His address drew attention to the evolving role of the vehicle’s structural core — the Body-in-White — as the decisive element in making Safe EVs, both occupants and high-voltage battery systems.
Session Details
Conference: The Future of Automotive Testing
Date: 24 October 2024
Location: Novi, Michigan, USA
Speech Title: Engineering Safer EV Structures: The Next Frontier in Body-in-White Design
Speaker: Mr. Prasad U. Kulkarni
Reviewer: Mr. Basant Sharma, Vice President, Detroit Engineered Products
Kulkarni’s Six Key Themes on Engineering Safe EVs
Before diving into specifics, Mr. Kulkarni outlined six critical focus areas shaping the future of EV structural safety:
1. The Hidden Shield Beneath Every EV
2. New Safety Demands for a New Era
3. Testing: Where Design Meets Accountability
4. A Converging Global Safety Framework
5. The Rise of Digital Testing and AI
6. The Path Ahead
These themes collectively define the roadmap toward engineering safer, smarter, and more sustainable electric vehicles (safe EVs).
The Hidden Shield Beneath Every EV
Kulkarni described the Body-in-White (BIW) as the “immune system” of the vehicle — a complex assembly of metal panels, beams, and welds that form the safety skeleton. In conventional vehicles, the BIW protects occupants during a crash; in electric vehicles, it must also shield the heavy and sensitive underfloor battery pack.
“An EV’s battery cannot deform like a fuel tank — it must remain intact even under extreme load,” he explained. “This fundamentally changes how we design load paths, crumple zones, and side-sill reinforcements. BIW engineers now carry the dual responsibility of occupant safety and battery containment.”
New Safety Demands for a New Era
Modern EVs are, on average, 30% heavier than their ICE counterparts, requiring crash structures to manage proportionally higher impact energies. At the same time, EVs lack a central transmission tunnel — historically a critical longitudinal load path — compelling engineers to devise new strategies to absorb and redirect crash forces effectively.
“A crash doesn’t end with impact anymore,” Kulkarni emphasized. “We must also design for what happens in the seconds that follow — ensuring isolation of 800-volt systems, preventing electrolyte leakage, and protecting first responders from electric hazards.”
Testing: Where Design Meets Accountability
Testing, Kulkarni stressed, is where “design meets reality and engineering meets accountability.” While simulations and CAE models provide predictive insights, real-world testing remains the final measure of safety and credibility.
For EVs, testing now extends far beyond traditional crash assessments. It includes mechanical integrity, thermal abuse, water ingress, and post-impact isolation validation. Each test must confirm that no fire, explosion, or electrolyte leakage occurs — even under the most extreme conditions.
“Every failure caught in the lab is a potential tragedy prevented on the road,” he remarked. “Public trust in EVs depends as much on rigorous testing as on innovation itself.”
A Converging Global Safety Framework
The global regulatory landscape is rapidly evolving. U.S. standards such as FMVSS 305a require that after a crash, no electrolyte leakage occurs, no fire ignites for at least five minutes, and the battery remains electrically isolated. In Europe, Euro NCAP emphasizes post-crash containment and battery deformation limits, while Bharat NCAP and Latin NCAP are aligning with these global norms.
“Containment, isolation, and communication — these three pillars define the future of Safe EV validation,” Kulkarni noted. “Design, testing, and regulatory compliance must now operate as one synchronized system.”
The Rise of Digital Testing and AI
As testing methodologies evolve, AI-driven topology optimization, digital twins, and predictive analytics are revolutionizing validation processes. Engineers can now simulate thousands of virtual crashes before a single prototype is built, dramatically reducing development time and cost.
“We’re moving from reactive testing to predictive engineering,” Kulkarni said. “Digital intelligence is helping us design smarter load paths, optimize material use, and anticipate failure points before they exist in the real world.”
The Path Ahead
In his closing remarks, Kulkarni underscored that the future of safe EVs will depend on collaboration — among OEMs, suppliers, and regulators — and the seamless integration of digital tools into every stage of design and testing.
“Safety cannot be outsourced,” he concluded. “Every weld, every simulation, and every test we perform contributes to saving lives. The Body-in-White remains our first and last line of defense in Safe EVs— and as engineers, that’s both our greatest challenge and our greatest responsibility.”
Closing Summary
Mr. Kulkarni’s presentation at Novi stood out not just for its technical insight but for its broader vision — one where engineering rigor, data-driven design, and human responsibility converge to make the roads safer for all. His message was clear: as the world drives toward cleaner mobility, the foundation of trust will continue to rest on how safe EVs are made.
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Reviewer: Mr. Basant Sharma, Vice President, Detroit Engineered Products
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Ashwini Kshirsagar holds a graduate degree in Chemistry and a postgraduate degree in Environmental Science from Shivaji University, Kolhapur. With a strong foundation in scientific principles and a creative flair, she blends her expertise in environmental science with skills in technical writing, graphic design, and video editing. Proficient in Adobe software, Ashwini excels at transforming complex scientific concepts into clear, engaging, and visually compelling content. Her unique ability to merge science and storytelling allows her to create impactful communication materials that are both informative and accessible to a wide audience.
