Nissan uses AI to cut vehicle testing time, speed up EV development

Japanese automaker Nissan has extended its partnership with UK-based software company Monolith through 2027 to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) in vehicle development, aiming to reduce physical testing time and accelerate innovation, particularly for electric vehicles (EVs). Building on a successful trial with the Nissan LEAF, the collaboration uses Monolith’s AI-driven engineering software combined with over 90 years of Nissan’s testing data to simulate and validate vehicle performance with high precision. This approach allows engineers to predict how vehicles will perform under various conditions without extensive physical prototypes, thereby cutting development time and resource use significantly. The AI platform employs machine learning models trained on historical test data and digital simulations to optimize testing processes, such as identifying optimal torque ranges for bolt joints and prioritizing subsequent tests. Early results demonstrated a 17 percent reduction in physical testing for certain components, with potential to halve total testing time across all vehicle programs. Nissan sees this data-powered methodology as a way to enhance development speed, precision, and sustainability, supporting faster