Rising cost pressures & global competition
Automotive companies must innovate faster while reducing cost per vehicle to stay competitive.
Engineering the Future of Automotive with Simulation
From electrification to autonomy, simulation drives smarter, safer, and faster automotive innovation.
Overview
Improve Speed and Quality of Automotive Industry Innovations
The automotive industry is changing fast — with Electric Vehicles (EVs), ADAS, and Autonomous Vehicles pushing the boundaries of innovation. To stay ahead, companies need smarter ways to design, test, and validate complex systems. At CADFEM India, we support this shift with powerful multiphysics simulation solutions that reduce physical testing, save costs, and bring safe, efficient vehicles to market faster.
From concept to road-ready, CADFEM's simulation solutions fuel the future of mobility.
Here's how we help drive innovation
- Simulate complete Electrified Powertrains, from electric motor design to power electronics
- Ensure battery safety and performance with advanced battery simulation tools
- Accelerate development of ADAS and Autonomous Vehicles through virtual testing
- Optimize thermal management across powertrain, interiors, and electronics
- Improve crashworthiness and structural integrity through crash and safety analysis
- Improve comfort, performance, and efficiency with chassis, interior, and exterior aerodynamic simulations
4 Pillars of Automotive Innovation
Industry Challenges
Complex interdependencies between systems
Vehicle subsystems like batteries, ADAS, and crash safety must now be co-developed due to overlapping performance impacts.
Limited engineering resources
Engineering teams are expected to do more with less — faster design cycles, fewer test loops, and broader responsibilities.
Need for faster, more productive development cycles
Digital-first approaches are required to meet time-to-market goals while maintaining quality.
Strict safety, emissions & performance regulations
Compliance with evolving global standards (e.g., ISO 26262, GTRs, Euro NCAP) demands early validation and documentation.
Demand for tech-rich customer features
Consumer expectations around comfort, safety, and digital experience are rising, requiring deeper system integration.
Solution with Simulation
Drive the Future of Mobility with Multiphysics Simulation
Faster Time-to-Market
Accelerate development of electrified powertrains, ADAS, and autonomous vehicles by reducing validation cycles and minimizing the need for physical prototypes.
AI-Powered Automation
Streamline thermal management, battery simulation, and power electronics design with AI-driven workflows that reduce manual effort and enhance simulation efficiency.
Simulation-Driven Generative Design
Explore optimal solutions early by leveraging electric motor design and vehicle chassis simulation for lightweight, high-performance designs.
High-Performance Solver Speed
Unlock faster insights with GPU/CPU-accelerated solvers for complex tasks such as crash and safety analysis and vehicle exterior aerodynamics.
Improved Reliability
Virtually test thousands of design iterations — including battery safety, thermal stress, and structural performance — to ensure optimal reliability.
Increased Profitability
Reduce rework, material waste, and inefficiencies by simulating and validating designs across vehicle interiors, powertrain systems, and electronic components.
Enhanced Safety & Compliance
Ensure systems meet global standards through virtual crash simulations, ADAS validation, and edge-case assessments using digital twins.
FAQs
How can simulation tools enhance electric vehicle (EV) development?
Simulation accelerates EV development by enabling virtual testing of components like battery systems, electric motor design, and power electronics, helping reduce development time and improve performance across the electrified powertrain.
Does CADFEM support Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) development?
Yes, CADFEM enables ADAS development through high-fidelity simulation for sensor integration, vehicle exterior aerodynamics, and control logic testing, ensuring safer and more reliable autonomous vehicle functions.
Can CADFEM's simulation solutions assist in reducing vehicle emissions?
Absolutely. CADFEM's multiphysics simulation helps optimize thermal management, combustion, and power electronics, leading to better energy efficiency and reduced emissions in hybrid and electric vehicles (HEVs).
What role does simulation play in autonomous vehicle design?
Simulation is essential for autonomous vehicles, offering virtual environments to validate sensor performance, test scenarios, and optimize ADAS features — accelerating safe and scalable development.
How can simulation reduce physical prototyping in automotive design?
Simulation minimizes the need for costly prototypes by validating concepts early, using vehicle chassis simulation, battery simulation, and digital twin technology for accurate performance predictions.
Can CADFEM help with thermal management challenges in hybrid and electric vehicles?
Yes, CADFEM offers advanced tools for thermal management to ensure efficient cooling in EVs and HEVs, covering battery systems, inverters, and electric motors, enhancing safety and longevity.
How does CADFEM empower automotive engineers to tackle NVH, durability, and crash safety challenges using simulation?
CADFEM leverages vehicle interior simulation, crash and safety analysis, and multiphysics simulation to assess and improve NVH, structural integrity, and passenger safety across all vehicle platforms.
Electromobility
Accelerating EV Innovation with Simulation
CADFEM along with Ansys solutions enables end-to-end virtual validation of electric vehicles — from battery design to full system integration. Our open simulation platform allows EV teams to design smarter, safer, and more efficient electric drivetrains, while reducing costly hardware testing and speeding up regulatory approval.
Focus Points
- System Integration
- Battery and BMS
- Electric Machines
- Power Electronics
- E-Gearbox
- Fuel Cell
Challenges
High cost and time of physical prototyping
Building and testing EV components physically is expensive and slows down development.
Delayed detection of system-level faults
Design issues often emerge late in testing, requiring costly redesigns.
Incomplete cybersecurity and safety assessments
EV systems are vulnerable to software and hardware failures without early validation.
Difficulty simulating fast charging, regenerative braking, and thermal runaway
These high-stress scenarios require advanced multiphysics modeling to predict performance accurately.
Early-stage system integration risks
Multiple subsystems must be virtually integrated early to avoid rework in later stages.
Compliance with ISO 26262, ASPICE, and other EV standards
Meeting safety and process standards requires simulation-led verification and traceability.
Products as a Solution
Ansys Twin BuilderAnsys FluentAnsys MaxwellAnsys Safety AnalysisAnsys medini analyzeAnsys IcepakAnsys Mechanical
ADAS
Simulating Smart, Safe, Autonomous Systems
Ansys solutions support ADAS development from early concept to system validation — ensuring safety, performance, and compliance. With virtual testing environments, sensor modeling, and scenario simulations, engineers can test ADAS features like lane detection, emergency braking, and adaptive cruise under countless real-world conditions — without risking lives or delays.
Focus Points
- System and feature definition
- Sensors
- Lighting
- Feature validation
Challenges
Limited real-world test coverage for edge cases
It's impossible to manually test every scenario a vehicle might encounter.
Complex sensor fusion and placement
Radar, LiDAR, and camera systems must work together seamlessly in all environments.
Integration across hardware, software, and mechanical domains
Failure to simulate interactions leads to downstream performance issues.
Increasing safety and cybersecurity expectations
Systems must meet strict safety and security requirements before deployment.
High costs of physical testing infrastructure
Test tracks, crash labs, and environmental chambers add significant cost and delays.
Products as a Solution
Ansys SpeosAnsys VRXPERIENCEAnsys HFSSAnsys Twin BuilderAnsys medini analyze
Software-Defined Vehicles
Enabling Agile Software-Defined Architectures
Today's vehicles are evolving into software-defined platforms requiring real-time updates, seamless hardware-software integration, and reliable system performance. Ansys enables SDV innovation with model-based systems engineering (MBSE), embedded software development, and safety-compliant simulation workflows.
Focus Points
- MBSE for safety, performance and operation
- Electrical architecture and electronics development
- Secure embedded software generation
- HW & SW for continuous integration & validation
Challenges
Rising software complexity
Vehicles are becoming software-centric, requiring scalable code validation and testing.
Risk of integration failures
Hardware-software mismatches lead to critical delays and recalls.
Lack of early-stage safety verification
Software-related failures often go unnoticed until late in development.
Fragmented development environments
Isolated workflows between embedded software, electronics, and mechanical teams slow down progress.
Need for cross-domain collaboration
Software-defined platforms require real-time alignment between electrical, thermal, and control domains.
Products as a Solution
Ansys SCADEAnsys medini analyzeAnsys Twin BuilderAnsys SherlockAnsys ModelCenter
Vehicle Development
Vehicle Performance Engineering with Digital Twin Technology
We provide an integrated, multiphysics platform for full-vehicle simulation — from body aerodynamics and crash performance to thermal management, cabin acoustics, and powertrain efficiency. Our tools enable digital twin models that reduce testing, improve design reliability, and speed up vehicle development.
Focus Points
- Vehicle Exterior
- Vehicle Interior
- Vehicle Chassis
- Vehicle Powertrain
- Vehicle Electricals
Challenges
Rising complexity and tighter timelines
Automotive teams must deliver advanced systems faster, pushing the need for smarter, more efficient design tools.
Cross-domain simulation requirements
Engineers need to model structures, fluids, electronics, and control systems in a unified platform.
Late-stage design flaws due to lack of early validation
Performance and compliance issues often surface too late in development.
Meeting safety, comfort, and performance standards
Vehicle systems must deliver on ride quality, crash safety, emissions, and acoustics — simultaneously.
Products as a Solution
Ansys MechanicalAnsys FluentAnsys LS-DYNAAnsys MotionAnsys DiscoveryAnsys Twin BuilderAnsys HFSS