Electric Vehicles

Revolutionizing EV Manufacturing with Virtual Prototyping

With global governments setting ambitious targets to tackle the climate crisis and introducing new legislation surrounding carbon emissions, coupled with an increase in consumer desire to become greener and more sustainable, the emergence of Electric Vehicles (EVs) is facilitating a new era of innovation and transformation for the engineering landscape. As the industry navigates through the complexities of electrification, the need for efficient and cost-effective engineering solutions has become paramount.

Virtual prototyping is a game-changing approach that is reshaping the way vehicles are designed, developed, and manufactured. As the EV market continues to evolve at a rapid pace, the competitive edge offered by virtual prototyping becomes increasingly evident. It enables manufacturers to stay ahead of the curve, swiftly adapting to market demands and technological advancements.

Virtual Prototyping Solutions for Electric Vehicle Manufacturers

Virtual prototyping is defined as the process of creating and simulating digital representations of physical products and systems. Engineers can design, test, and validate vehicle components and systems in a virtual environment before physical prototypes are built. This approach offers numerous advantages, particularly for EV production, where the stakes are high, and the demand for innovation is relentless. 

Explore the EV Challenges Being Solved with Simulation

For EVs, the driving range of a vehicle is an important factor, as is battery behavior, and overall vehicle weight, all of which require additional simulation capabilities. Virtual prototyping streamlines these processes by allowing engineers to iterate and optimize designs rapidly, reducing development cycles and accelerating product launches.

Automotive EVs: Ensure that new lightweight materials and batteries are roadworthy and meet safety certifications

Aerospace EVs: Launch eVTOLs with the confidence that they comply with Urban Air Mobility regulations

Heavy Machinery EVs: Guarantee that electric excavators, wheel loaders, and forklifts can withstand the physical pressures of a construction site

eBook: How is Virtual Prototyping Accelerating Electric Vehicle Development?

Unlock the future of EV engineering innovation

Explore the shift in development processes, discover how to accelerate design cycles, maximize efficiency, and ensure manufacturability. Read how ESI’s simulation software empowers you to create and analyze intricate EV components without physical constraints, dive deep into immersive virtual environments, and ensure the reliability and safety of your EVs.

Read the eBook

Thumbnail image of eBook about virtual prototyping for EV manufacturing

Take a look at the areas where you could adopt a virtual prototyping approach to your EV product development:

Crash, Safety, Strength, and Dynamics

Vehicle designers must engineer new concepts faster while proposing innovative solutions to answer e-mobility challenges. Virtual simulation helps predict battery safety, performance, and range, test the structural integrity of the vehicle body and battery systems, and assess the impact of water.

Virtual Performance Solution SimulationX

Acoustic Performance

Electric vehicles operate quietly, making unwanted vibrations and acoustic disturbances more noticeable, but the necessity of meeting pass-by-noise regulations remains a significant challenge. Acoustic engineers must also devise strategies to intentionally introduce noise in the absence of engine sounds by implementing effective acoustic warning systems in traffic scenarios (AVAS). Virtual prototyping enables engineers to simulate and test noise levels to enhance the overall auditory experience and safety of electric vehicles.

VA One

Body and Chassis Manufacturing

Reducing vehicle weight is essential for extending the range of electric vehicles and driving widespread adoption. However, transitioning from traditional 100% steel body manufacturing to multi-material strategies presents challenges for both manufacturability and final product performance, but simulation technologies can play a pivotal role in enabling this transition.

ProCAST PAM-STAMP PAM-COMPOSITES SYSWELD

Virtual Product and Process Validation

With EVs, traditional systems integration and packaging practices in product design are being challenged, but the evaluation of human interactions with products in critical processes such as assembly or maintenance are often left until later stages of the development process when physical mock-ups and operational prototypes become available. Enterprises are turning to virtual reality (VR) software to power collaborative virtual workflows, building, and disassembling products in a physically realistic environment to provide valuable insights early in the development process.

IC.IDO