5 Key Roles of Embedded Systems in EV Cars: What Every Electrical Engineer Needs to Know (Updated May 2026) (Updated May 2026)
An electric vehicle isn't just an engine replacement — it's a computer on wheels controlled by a network of embedded systems. Maharashtra's AURIC zone has attracted ₹71,343 crore in investment, with Ather Energy setting up its gigafactory at Bidkin AURIC and Toyota Kirloskar investing in EV components at the AURIC township. Every EV manufactured at these plants contains anywhere from 70 to 150 embedded control units, each running real-time firmware on microcontrollers. For electrical and electronics engineers in Pune and Sambhajinagar, this represents a massive career opportunity — and most graduates aren't aware that the skill requirement isn't just "C programming." What most people don't realize is that EV embedded engineering is highly specialized: battery management, motor drives, charging systems, driver assistance and infotainment each require domain-specific embedded knowledge. Here's what each of these five systems does, who's hiring, and what the roles pay.
- EVs contain 70–150 embedded control units running specialized real-time firmware
- 5 key embedded systems: BMS, Motor Control Unit, Onboard Charger, ADAS, Infotainment
- Key skills: C/C++ embedded, RTOS, CAN bus, AUTOSAR, hardware-in-loop testing
- Indian EV embedded jobs: ₹5–9 LPA entry; ₹12–22 LPA for AUTOSAR/functional safety
- Pune hubs: Bajaj Auto, Tata Motors, KPIT, Ather Bidkin, Toyota Kirloskar AURIC
Role 1: Battery Management System (BMS) — The Brain of Every EV
The Battery Management System is the most critical embedded controller in any EV. It monitors every individual cell in the battery pack (voltage, temperature, current), balances charge across cells, estimates State of Charge (SoC) and State of Health (SoH), and triggers safety shutdowns if parameters go out of bounds. BMS firmware runs on automotive-grade microcontrollers (STM32, Renesas, NXP) under RTOS environments (FreeRTOS, AUTOSAR). Companies like Tata Technologies, KPIT and Bosch Pune develop BMS algorithms. The job title is "Battery Management System Engineer" or "Embedded Controls Engineer — EV." Skills required: C programming, CAN bus communication, battery electrochemistry basics, functional safety (ISO 26262). Freshers: ₹5–7 LPA; experienced (3 yrs): ₹12–18 LPA.
Role 2: Motor Control Unit (MCU) — Converting Electricity Into Motion
The Motor Control Unit translates driver accelerator input into precise current control signals for the electric motor (PMSM or induction motor). It implements Field-Oriented Control (FOC) algorithms running at microsecond cycle times — this demands hard real-time firmware on DSP-based microcontrollers (TI C2000, STM32). The MCU communicates with the BMS via CAN and with the vehicle controller via LIN or FlexRay. KPIT Technologies (Hinjewadi Phase 1, Pune 411057) is India's largest automotive embedded software firm and actively recruits for motor control firmware roles. Bajaj Auto's EV platform (Chetak and Pulsar EV) has embedded controls developed partly in-house and partly by suppliers like KPIT. Salary: fresher ₹5–8 LPA, experienced ₹14–22 LPA for complex FOC and AUTOSAR-based implementation.
| EV System | Core Skill | Salary (Pune) |
|---|---|---|
| Battery Management (BMS) | C, CAN, ISO 26262 | ₹5–18 LPA |
| Motor Control Unit | DSP, FOC, AUTOSAR | ₹5–22 LPA |
| OBC / Charging Control | Power electronics, CCS2 | ₹6–24 LPA |
| ADAS ECUs | AUTOSAR Adaptive, C++ | ₹8–35 LPA |
| Infotainment / Connectivity | Embedded Linux, Android Auto | ₹6–28 LPA |
Role 3: Onboard Charger (OBC) and Charging Control Embedded Systems
The Onboard Charger converts AC mains (230V household or 415V fast-charge) into DC voltage suitable for battery charging. Its embedded controller manages the power factor correction (PFC) stage and the DC-DC isolated converter stage, communicates with charging infrastructure via the Combined Charging System (CCS2) or CHAdeMO protocol, and handles thermal protection. The Charging Control Module also includes the Vehicle Control Unit (VCU) logic that decides charge rate based on battery temperature, SoC and user settings. Ather Energy (Bengaluru + Bidkin AURIC) and Revolt Intellicorp develop proprietary OBC systems. Embedded engineers working on OBC: ₹6–10 LPA entry, rising to ₹16–24 LPA for experts in wireless charging and V2G (vehicle-to-grid) standards.
Role 4: Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) — Safety Through Sensing
ADAS in EVs is an embedded-heavy domain: camera ECUs, radar signal processors, ultrasonic parking sensors, emergency braking controllers and lane departure warning systems all run real-time embedded code. Most ADAS ECUs use heterogeneous processors (ARM Cortex-A for perception, ARM Cortex-M for safety). Tata Motors, Mahindra and Bajaj Auto are progressively adding ADAS features to their EV platforms. For Tier-1 suppliers: Bosch (Pune), Continental India (Pune), and ZF India (Pune) develop ADAS embedded software. The skill stack: C/C++, AUTOSAR Adaptive for ADAS, computer vision basics (OpenCV), and ISO 26262 functional safety. Senior ADAS embedded engineers in Pune earn ₹20–35 LPA.
Role 5: Infotainment and Connectivity Control Units
Infotainment systems (touchscreen dashboard, connected navigation, Bluetooth/4G/5G connectivity, OTA firmware updates) run on Linux or Android Automotive OS with embedded middleware layers. Android Automotive runs on Tata Nexon EV and Mahindra XEV platforms. These require both embedded Linux knowledge (device drivers, HAL layers) and Android/AOSP development. Connectivity control units manage cellular modems (4G/5G), GPS, BLE and Wi-Fi simultaneously. For Indian OEMs, Visteon India (Pune), Harman International (Bangalore/Pune) and Tata Elxsi are major employers for infotainment embedded roles. Salary range: ₹6–12 LPA fresher (Android Automotive), ₹18–28 LPA for Linux kernel + connectivity specialists.
Which Pune and Sambhajinagar Companies Are Hiring EV Embedded Engineers
Six Pune and Sambhajinagar companies actively recruiting EV embedded engineers: 1. KPIT Technologies (Hinjewadi Phase 1, Pune 411057) — motor control, BMS, AUTOSAR roles. 2. Bajaj Auto EV Division (Plot 2, Phase III, Akurdi Pune 411035) — in-house embedded for Chetak/Pulsar EV. 3. Tata Motors (Ranjangaon, Plot S-4, MIDC) — EV platform embedded controls. 4. Ather Energy (Bidkin AURIC Phase 1, Sambhajinagar) — BMS, charger, embedded systems freshers. 5. Toyota Kirloskar (AURIC, Shendra MIDC, Sambhajinagar) — embedded for hybrid and EV systems. 6. Bosch India (Hinjewadi Phase 2, Pune) — ADAS, motor control, charging system firmware. Salary benchmarks (AmbitionBox): KPIT fresher ₹5–7 LPA, Bosch ₹6–9 LPA, experienced embedded at Tata Motors ₹12–18 LPA.
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FAQs
Do electrical engineers (not computer science) qualify for embedded EV roles?
Yes, and this is one of the best-kept secrets in engineering careers. EV embedded roles — especially BMS, motor control and OBC — require power electronics and electrical system understanding that CS graduates typically lack. Companies like KPIT, Bajaj Auto and Tata Motors actively prefer electrical/electronics engineers who learn embedded C programming over CS graduates who lack the hardware domain knowledge. It's a genuine advantage for E&TC and Electrical degree holders.
What is AUTOSAR and do I need to learn it for EV embedded jobs?
AUTOSAR (AUTomotive Open System ARchitecture) is the industry standard software architecture for automotive embedded systems. Classic AUTOSAR governs the lower-level ECU software stack (RTE, BSW, MCAL). Adaptive AUTOSAR is for high-compute ECUs like ADAS. You don't need deep AUTOSAR expertise for entry-level EV roles, but understanding the basics — layered architecture, software components, RunTimeEnvironment — makes you significantly more hire-worthy at Tier-1 suppliers like Bosch and Continental. Our embedded systems course at ABC Trainings introduces AUTOSAR concepts.
Which embedded systems certification helps most for EV jobs in India?
The most valued certifications for embedded EV in India: Functional Safety (ISO 26262 Awareness certificate), AUTOSAR awareness training, and TI's C2000 Motor Control training (free online). For academic credentials, CDAC's Embedded Systems course is recognized by hiring managers. That said, companies like KPIT primarily hire based on project demonstrations and live coding tests — a strong GitHub portfolio demonstrating CAN communication or BMS simulation carries more weight than most certifications.
Is there training at ABC Trainings specifically for EV embedded skills?
Yes — our Industry 4.0 with AI & Industrial Automation course at ABC Trainings covers embedded systems fundamentals including microcontrollers, RTOS concepts, CAN bus and industrial communication. It's designed for electrical and electronics engineers targeting automotive embedded, EV and automation roles. Available at Cidco and Osmanpura centers in Sambhajinagar and Wagholi/Hadapsar in Pune — call 7039169629.
