ToneTag extends DrivePay to the Sierra.ev, advancing the vision of cars as intelligent commerce platforms

ToneTag, a deep-tech platform focused on proximity commerce, today announced the extension of DrivePay to the recently launched Sierra.ev. Integrated into the Sierra.ev’s infotainment system, DrivePay enables drivers to use voice commands to order from cafes, recharge FASTag accounts and discover payment-ready charging stations along their route, without switching between applications.

Voice commerce at the core of connected mobility

The Sierra.ev integration expands DrivePay’s in-car payments capabilities with a voice-led commerce layer. The feature enables drivers to discover and act on relevant services through the vehicle’s infotainment interface, including ordering from nearby cafes and managing FASTag recharges.

Blue Tokai Coffee is the first merchant integration for the voice-led ordering capability. Drivers can place orders through the vehicle interface, bringing merchant transactions into the in-car experience.

FASTag recharge similarly brings balance management into the vehicle, allowing drivers to recharge without relying on a separate mobile application. The vehicle’s awareness of the journey and destination enables these services to be presented in a contextual manner.

DrivePay’s EV charging capability also enables drivers to discover nearby charging stations through the vehicle interface. Users can view payment-ready charging stations and filter them based on charging capacity and journey relevance, bringing discovery and payment into a single in-car experience.

“The launch of the Sierra.ev marks a significant step forward in our commitment to customer-first mobility solutions. With DrivePay, we have addressed a key user pain point by simplifying charging and related payments directly from the vehicle. The expansion of the platform with new features in the Sierra.ev further enhances convenience and reinforces our focus on delivering meaningful connected-car experiences for our users. We are confident that innovations such as DrivePay will continue to raise the benchmark for connected mobility solutions in India,” said Sven Patuschka, Chief Technology Officer, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Ltd.

Vivek Kumar Singh, Co-Founder and Director – Labs, ToneTag, said that DrivePay builds on the evolution of UPI beyond the mobile phone and into connected devices.

“UPI has largely been associated with mobile phones, but there are specific use cases where another device can provide a more convenient payment experience. The car is one such device. For example, if you are approaching a toll and your FASTag balance is low, being able to recharge directly through the car removes the need to depend on a mobile phone while driving,” he said.

According to Singh, the company’s approach is not limited to payments associated with vehicles. “We are not restricting ourselves to one particular hardware or mode. We are working as an IoT payment provider, where the device could be a car, smart glasses, a wristwatch or other connected devices. The car is our first live deployment, demonstrating that UPI can work beyond the mobile phone,” he said.

The broader vision also extends commerce beyond conventional vehicle-related transactions. “When we started this discussion, many people thought we were focusing only on payments related to the car, such as insurance or other mobility services. But you can also buy a coffee from the car. If you are driving to work every day, you could order a coffee from a nearby merchant and have it ready when you arrive. We are looking at whatever helps deliver a better user experience,” Singh added.

Voice is expected to play an increasingly important role in this connected-device ecosystem. “Everything is becoming voice-operated, from headphones and smart glasses to wristwatches, while cars are increasingly voice-driven as well. Voice is something we have been working on for a long time. We understand how human voice and technical voice modulation work, and that has always been a key technology focus for us,” Singh said.

Beyond cars, ToneTag is working on payment use cases across other connected devices. The company is exploring applications for smart glasses and watches, following solutions demonstrated with NPCI at the Global Fintech Fest. These include enabling users to make payments through connected devices without relying on a mobile phone.

At ToneTag, we have always believed that the future of payments lies in becoming invisible, contextual and deeply embedded into everyday experiences. Mobility is emerging as one of the most important frontiers in that evolution, where vehicles are no longer just modes of transport but intelligent, connected ecosystems. With DrivePay on the Sierra.ev, we are taking a significant step towards redefining how consumers interact with the world around them from inside the car itself,” said Vivek Kumar Singh, Co-Founder and Director – Labs, ToneTag.

DrivePay is designed with encryption, authentication layers and compliance-driven safeguards for in-car transactions. By bringing payment capabilities into the infotainment environment, ToneTag is extending its payments technology into connected devices and exploring applications across categories including QSRs, restaurants, fuel payments and hyperlocal commerce.

As connected mobility develops in India, the integration of DrivePay with the Sierra.ev demonstrates how the vehicle interface can evolve beyond navigation and entertainment to support contextual transactions and commerce.