Today’s vehicles aren’t just computers on wheels – they’re often an entire network. Onboard systems are collecting, receiving, processing and sharing ever-larger volumes of data, underpinned by faster and more complex Ethernet-based electrical architectures. It’s an evolution that’s changing how new models are designed and tested, too.

The foundations were set out with the BroadR-Reach specification over a decade ago. Developed by Broadcom, this enabled bidirectional data transfer at up to 100Mbps using a single pair of lightweight twisted cables – instead of two in each direction for a traditional Ethernet system. Backed by the OPEN (One-Pair Ether-Net) Alliance, of which Broadcom was a founding member, it formed the basis of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 100Base-T1 standard, which has come to be used industry-wide. 

As a sign of its importance, the OPEN Alliance now has more than 400 members, bringing OEMs, Tier 1s, silicon suppliers, Ethernet component manufacturers and test facilities together with industry bodies such as IEEE and ISO to develop new specifications. In turn, it’s evolved quickly – the IEEE is now setting automotive Ethernet standards for speeds in excess of 10Gbps, or 100 times faster than the earliest specifications.

Kishore Racherla, product line manager at Broadcom and a member of the wider Ethernet Alliance consortium’s board of directors, says these offer numerous benefits over other in-vehicle network (IVN) technologies, such as CAN, FlexRay and MOST.

“Ethernet is a flexible, switched, point-to-point networking technology, supporting scalability from low megabits to multigigabits per second. It eliminates the need for gateways to bridge from other technologies to Ethernet and enables reuse of robust existing local area network [LAN] protocols and security methodologies. It is also a lightweight solution, and is able to meet the stringent automotive EMC requirements,” he explains, noting that demands aren’t slowing down.

“Future in-vehicle networks will have to support higher bandwidths, hardware-based security and
time-synchronized networks [especially for aligning sensor data]. Automotive Ethernet will play a key role
in meeting these future requirements and, with its ability to provide end-to-end connectivity, will help
in reducing the number of IVN technologies used in vehicles in the future.”

Mixed signals
Automotive applications introduce some unique challenges. John Marrinan, director of application engineers, EMEA at Tektronix, says its tests assess systems for signal quality, impedance matching and error rates at the receiver, ensuring they conform to the IEEE 802.3XX interoperability standards. OEM approvals are especially stringent, often tending to require components to meet optional elements of the specification as an assurance of reliability, he says. 

“Physical layer transceiver [PHY]-level testing is hard, with tight timing margins and many of the tests are pushing the boundaries of the instrumentation specifications. This has led to the industry developing solutions with greater levels of resolution and accuracy. The automotive Ethernet ecosystem was a contributing factor [in requiring those improvements] for these tests and others,” he says. 

There are two ways to separate the data flow, Marrinan continues, each suited to different types of testing. Physically cutting the wiring system then using directional couplers to direct the signal toward the test equipment enables hardware-based fault triggering but at the expense of signal quality. Using software algorithms to analyze the current waveform is better for measuring quality, but doesn’t allow for real-time faults. 

“Companies must think carefully about their test plan to access the signal correctly. Depending on the test requirements, in many cases multitest setups are needed,” he explains.

Kevin Kershner, digital solution system architect at Keysight Technologies, adds that in-vehicle systems need error correction mechanisms capable of coping with a much wider spectrum of interference than land-based Ethernet, and reliably transmit data for a much longer 10- to 15-year lifespan. In turn, compliance testing has to mimic a broad range of environmental effects to ensure compliance, especially as faster Ethernet technologies are more susceptible to noise. 

“As data rates go up and baud rates go into the RF microwave range, there is a direct impact on receiver design and testing. With higher baud rates, there is increased electrical interference, plus noise sources, reflections, attenuations and other losses that impact signals. As the speed of signals increases, the wavelengths of those signals get shorter. Increased data rates require higher bandwidth receivers. This means the receiver is open to a broader spectrum of noise, including broadband environmental sources
as well as narrowband EMI attacks,” says Kershner.

“The signals are the frames from the [reversing] camera, the short-range radar for blind spot detection and long-range radar used for cruise control and lane keep assistance, so we cannot hope nor assume that things will work. The cost of the increased data rate, quantity, quality of frames in the camera and the number of sensors is [manifested in the] extra testing of the receiver before production.”

Cross-fertilization
Coupled with a move toward zonal electrical architectures, which network multiple ECUs, Ethernet is increasingly underpinning safety-critical processes. Illia Safiulin, product manager at Elektrobit, notes a trend toward network components – as well as end nodes – having to comply with the highest Automotive Safety Integrity Level (ASIL) D requirements, while also avoiding vulnerability from cyberattacks.

This is an area where automotive can learn from other industries. “One of the most important concepts to be learned [by the automotive industry] is cybersecurity. Currently it is one of the most important topics for in-vehicle Ethernet communication, and the experience from other fields is very important. Of course, there are certain peculiarities in the automotive industry that have to be kept in mind. Nevertheless, some firewalling or deep packet inspection techniques are of higher and higher importance,” he says.

“From the other side, the automotive industry can influence other applications from the standardization point of view. It was shown that having common standards/understanding of certain topics leads to more efficient development and compatibility.”

Ethernet-based electrical architectures are not only enabling richer infotainment and safety features, but also software-defined cars. It’s an opportunity to create new revenue streams and enable remote repairs and upgrades, leading to improved customer satisfaction, and automotive could spearhead innovations relevant to other industries. 

Commenting on the opportunities for mutual learning, Amir Bar-Niv, VP of Marvell’s automotive business unit says, “The primary lesson is the importance of, and benefits associated with, the decoupling of hardware and software. With a zone-based electrical and electronic architecture, software lifecycles may proceed independent of hardware lifecycles; OEMs can regularly update software over the air. By moving to this ‘software-first’ architecture, auto makers gain the ability to monetize the vehicle over its lifetime and, importantly, to fix vehicle issues remotely just as computing and networking equipment is today.” 

He continues, “Automobiles will be unique among ‘devices’ in their combination of autonomy, connectedness and software-defined character. This is likely to influence other systems and applications in ways not fully appreciated yet.”

Inside information
General Motors began development of its new vehicle intelligence platform electrical architecture in 2017, as a foundation for wider electrification, safety and infotainment features but also for the Super Cruise assistance technology. Debuted in the 2020 Cadillac CT5, this can process 4.5TB of data per hour – five times more than its predecessor – and includes up to 10Gbps Ethernet connectivity. Most global models
will use it by 2023. Mike Colville, director of vehicle software architecture and core enablers at GM, says it also benefits vehicle development: “We have the bandwidth to configure/flash multiple ECUs at a time, some of which have very large software images that would not be viable over CAN,” he comments.

“Additionally, we have developed specialized tools for assisting with troubleshooting and verifying build
at the end of lines.” Development was supported by the company’s in-house product cybersecurity team, and the platform features protection from unauthorized access for both hardware and software. Early testing is carried out virtually, to identify problems before the hardware is designed. Colville continues, “Virtualization environments also lend us the flexibility of building predictable traffic models to assist us with developing the required TSN Ethernet configurations. This is an extension of the tools used in CAN system developments but with significantly increased data.”

Few startups have arrived to expectations as grand as those behind Gordon Murray Automotive. Spun out of Gordon Murray Design in 2017, it’s a brand rooted in over half a century of race-winning innovations, taking a similarly uncompromising approach to its own model range. All 100 examples of the company’s first product – the T.50 supercar – sold within 48 hours and, with the setup of new premises, an ever-expanding workforce and development of the T.33 underway, group CEO Phil Lee sees no room for the company to rest on its laurels. 

“We’ve got cars planned out all the way up to 2033 and, no doubt, [Gordon Murray] has ideas that go up
to 2035 and beyond. He’s designing prolifically. I’m excited about everything that’s associated around the challenges that that brings,” he tells us. “We wanted to make sure that, especially building the brand, the first product was exceptional.”

Lee joined the company in 2019 as its first employee. Bringing more than 20 years of expertise from firms including LEVC and Lotus, his role has involved building most of the infrastructure for the incoming model range from a blank sheet of paper. 

In its first 12 years, the Gordon Murray Group had amassed a workforce of 90 employees at its UK head office in Shalford, Surrey. Three years later, there are 260 people working across its three divisions – Gordon Murray Automotive, Gordon Murray Design and Gordon Murray Electronics – and construction of
a £50m (US$59.4m) headquarters and tech campus is underway in nearby Windlesham. 

“You would think that, with such a large volume of people joining, the culture starts from the newcomers,” Lee continues. “What actually happens is the culture originates around the center, and the people you recruit in the key positions. They recruit people of like nature, and therefore it mushrooms out. You have to recruit the right people, at the right time, doing the right role not just in terms of competency, but the mindset of the organization.”

Bold moves
Company founder, Prof. Gordon Murray, is a linchpin of an engineering process ruthlessly focused on reducing both the weight and complexity of group products. Vehicles are styled in collaboration with chief creative officer Kevin Richards, and translated to a vehicle architecture through detailed assembly drawings exploring every component. Lee says rigidly setting out functions early enables later stages of engineering and development to effectively offer confirmation of concept, which reduces complexity too.

With an appetite to try new ideas, the team relies on simulation to learn lessons early. Lee says this approach proved invaluable as teams switched to remote working during Covid-19 lockdowns in 2020, enabling the computer-aided engineering phase of the T.50’s development to carry on uninterrupted and for the workforce to continue growing. 

In turn, construction and testing of the company’s first mule, a modified Ultima nicknamed George, began as restrictions lifted in the summer of 2020, featuring an early, rev-restricted version of the car’s 3.9-liter Cosworth V12 engine. Experimental prototype versions followed within months, introducing the carbon-fiber monocoque and aerodynamic elements. 

Now undergoing the final phases of validation, the T.50 is distinctive enough that the company won’t be camouflaging prototypes. Its 40cm aero fan accelerates airflow under the car, reducing the need for visible ducts, vents and flaps on the upper surfaces. This is powered by a 48V electrical system, which also cranks and helps cool the engine and provides an additional 50hp to the wheels. 

Weekly meetings during the regime have brought engineers together to scrutinize and strip weight from every component. The T.50 weighs just 986kg, but Lee says the engineers’ biggest headaches came from features such as the evolving electrical architecture. 

“It’s the things that have been more complicated that I found quite interesting as a learning curve,”
he says. “As a business, a lot of the people here – the engineers – have learned a lot on how to approach programs. That’s not just from a technical aspect, but also from a peripheral side view as to what can happen with other ancillary systems.”

Although a lot of the expertise in architecture and control networks is kept in-house, early products have relied on external facilities for testing. Gordon Murray Automotive has a permanent and expanding base at Millbrook Proving Ground and, more recently, the team travelled to Nardò to put prototypes through climate and high-speed testing.

Only the best
In each case, employees all the way up to Lee and Murray have a hands-on role, finding and solving problems during development. Lee comments, “Anybody can raise a build concern report – from build, to development, to quality, to observation, to perceived quality. If that happens, the quality department assigns a department, a name and a date to close the case by. Our system is really about recording everything, and then trying to narrow that down and close [the case]. It’s designed to ensure we are not getting repeat errors and certainly not getting repeat problems. It’s about closing them, and closing them for good.”

Supplier specialism is a linchpin too. The automotive manufacturer claims that 90% of its components are UK-sourced, and it’s working closely with partners to ensure each element meets its strict benchmarks. Cooperating with Cosworth resulted in the compact and relatively small-capacity 3.9-liter V12 engine, designed to offer McLaren F1 performance levels and with a low-mounted crank to push the center of gravity as close to the tarmac as possible. The carbon-fiber monocoque, developed with Formaplex, includes an F1-style passenger safety cell and the bespoke Xtrac manual gearbox is semi-structural.
Its gearshifts were meticulously tuned for weight and throw, and were signed off by Murray himself.

“We punch above our weight with the supply base,” says Lee. “We have a lot of credibility, so we don’t have a problem, as you would probably expect with us being small, with not being able to get the interest of those suppliers. Quite the reverse, actually: they want to deal with us. I think because of our technical knowledge, we’re able to stay on top of those trends as things move toward more advanced architectures.”

It’s a foundation for ongoing evolution as the company’s product plans stretch further into the future. “We’ve had a lot of systems to implement and we’ve had to put them in from scratch. The T.50 was the catalyst but, once you’re on the train, you can’t step off. That means [you need] that investment in systems and also maturation of the organization through [those systems] to get control, because you
just become exponentially more complicated. We tend to use systems that are flexible. That way, hopefully they’ll grow with us.”

Fountain of knowledge
Although Gordon Murray Automotive is relatively small – Lee is quick to point out that the company will only ever build low-volume products for an exclusive client base – the wider group structure puts a vast array of competency within reach for future projects. Gordon Murray Design provides development and prototyping services, while Gordon Murray Electronics, which was formed in 2021, builds electrified powertrains.

Gordon Murray Group’s growing team is steadily moving to the new Highams Park technology center in Windlesham (below), not far from its current headquarters southwest of London, and it’s here that the T.33 supercar will be built. This 22ha site, acquired in 2020, also enables a more efficient R&D structure. Design teams will be located adjacent to individual prototyping bays and given access to
a shared engineering pool, and the site will include its own test track. 

“On the other side [of the group] we can keep up to date with all the latest automotive trends, whether that’s cleaner powertrains, EV technology, connectivity or autonomy,” says Lee. “The group’s technology base has things such as structural batteries, electronics and electrical architectures, and they work for Gordon Murray Automotive but also external clients.”

Located approximately 300km west of Sydney and surrounded by farmland, Cudal in New South Wales, Australia, is unlikely to have registered on the automotive industry’s radar until recently. But as the Australian government sets out its framework for connected and autonomous vehicle adoption, the town is spearheading vital research. An overhaul of Cudal’s former airstrip has created a safe, flexible space where engineers can test emerging technologies in the unique conditions found on the country’s road network.

Developed and operated by Transport for New South Wales (TfNSW), the Future Mobility Testing Facility opened in autumn 2019 thanks to an AS$1.6m (US$1.15m) cash injection from the state government. Remarkably, it’s the first facility of its kind in Australia equipped to undertake the full spectrum of safety assist assessments required under the Australasian New Car Assessment Program’s (ANCAP) five-star rating regime. Activities there augment the work conducted at TfNSW’s 40-year-old Crashlab in Sydney’s Huntingwood suburb, where passive safety analysis takes place. 

Test engineer Alex Lai moved over to the Cudal site to spearhead research, having previously focused on passive safety testing at Crashlab. He says that plans for the new proving ground began to take shape in 2018. “In the beginning, its defining purpose was to provide a facility that would enable us to support and conduct safety assist testing for new vehicles – in line with Euro NCAP and ANCAP protocols – without needing to send them to Europe,” he explains. 

“However, the site and our strategies have evolved in the meantime, broadening our focus into EVs, connected and autonomous features and future mobility.”

Australia’s regulatory backdrop is changing quickly. ANCAP began monitoring the availability of AEB within new cars in 2015, and in January 2018 it was officially covered in the ratings system as ANCAP protocols were aligned with those of Euro NCAP. Although fitment is still voluntary, it’s become a selling point for new vehicles and uptake figures are growing. In December 2015, only 3% of new models included AEB as standard. By June 2020, 66% of vehicles had been outfitted with AEB and 53% with lane support systems, according to ANCAP. If national government proposals are enacted, AEB will become compulsory for newly launched models from July 2022, and for every vehicle on sale 24 months later.

For that reason, notes Lai, analysis outgrew what Huntingwood could accommodate. “We carried out some [safety assist] testing at Crashlab, but constraints such as the length of the roadway limited what we could
do. At 180m, it would have become increasingly challenging to complete the full suite of testing there, particularly the high-speed scenarios, and we’d have been limited in the diversity and range of testing
we could carry out,” he says.

Favorable features
Cudal offered the ideal foundation for the Future Mobility Testing Facility. The former airport, which was decommissioned in the 1990s, is on almost 32ha of land and had a 1.6km runway in the center. That 17m-wide roadway has provided enough space to simulate vehicle-to-vehicle and vulnerable road user scenarios with a broad range of vehicle sizes, with plenty of run-off and room to adapt the layout over time. 

“We can offer conditions that set us apart from European test facilities, including gravel roads, flood scenarios and muddy terrain, and there is a variety of non-paved surfaces that will enable regional and rural autonomous vehicle penetration,” comments Lai.

He goes on to explain that accidents on rural roads account for two-thirds of road fatalities in New South Wales. “One of the unique challenges [we face] is doing research into technologies that can help protect road users in incidents involving one of our most iconic residents – yes, the beloved kangaroo – on our rural network. Among other native wildlife, vehicle impacts with kangaroos are very common on rural Australian roads, so being able to test technology that reduces these incidents is good for everyone.”

Refurbishment of the old airstrip began in July 2019. It involved resurfacing the runway to highway standards, adding Moshon lighting for night-time testing and bisecting it with two 60m-long, 10m-wide junctions built to ANCAP stipulations. The three hangars have been converted to workshops and offices housing 11 full-time staff, including a team of four technical personnel who were trained in-house to work with the latest safety technologies.

“The work we do is very specialized and it was difficult to recruit anyone with this experience locally,” says
Lai. “The technical team was carefully selected based on unique skill sets, especially their robotics experience from other industries – such as mining – and multidisciplinary knowledge. Each member was trained in the use of ADAS equipment and familiarized with relevant testing protocols and standards.”

The equipment inventory includes steering, accelerator and braking robots from AB Dynamics, alongside soft pedestrian and vehicle targets. VRU targets, including articulated adult and child pedestrians, were sourced from 4activeSystems. The organization plans to add motorcycle and rider targets in the near future. 

The Future Mobility Testing Facility carried out the first ANCAP safety assist test in the southern hemisphere just a few weeks after commissioning on October 28, 2019. 

Support system
The team is also setting out its own roadmap toward testing more advanced systems, which will eventually involve some upgrades to the infrastructure at the site (see Well connected, below). The track includes roadside RT3000 GNSS/INS GPS motion packs and base stations, which enable centimeter-accurate positioning and can assist early vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure testing. Engineers use purpose-built laptops, sharing data via on-site fiber-optic connections and with site-wide 4G as a backup. The facility is among the recipients of a combined A$20m (US$14.5m) federal government program to roll out 5G connectivity for application trials.

Lai says the site provides a unique environment to assess connected vehicles for domestic applications. “Cudal sits on a regional landscape and is exposed to extreme weather conditions. Its relatively remote location also provides the opportunity to develop systems, processes and technologies to face challenges such as accessing connectivity between vehicles and infrastructure.

“To be able to deliver more complex and high-data testing, there will be a need to have more secure and reliable connectivity that will provide higher speeds, more bandwidth and faster latency. 5G connectivity may be a solution and we are currently investigating this implementation.”

In the meantime, the proving ground has clearly hit the right note with vehicle developers. It has had a full diary since bookings opened two years ago, attracting light- and heavy-duty vehicle manufacturers and product developers, and road safety innovation projects, as well as being used for TfNSW’s own campaigns. Inquiries for 2022 are now coming in. 

There are already expansion plans in the pipeline, too. “The site is open for business, but it is in its infancy. Our goal is to build New South Wales’s first interactive and connected testbed, facilitating the development and implementation of all future mobility solutions for our road networks. We have the flexibility here to build out and it will be an important asset as we move forward,” Lai concludes. 

Well connected 
Cudal’s significance goes far beyond its native market. Besides localizing safety assist testing, Lai is hoping to attract international projects to New South Wales and create new opportunities for local industry. Despite its rural location, the site is well connected: It’s within driving distance of Canberra and there are connecting flights to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and beyond. 

“Our facility can offer world-class testing in the Australian environment, with ready access to rural scenarios. This could help with the development of technology for global applications, making it a desirable location where engineers can get value and support for their entry into Australian and other right-hand-drive markets,” Lai says.

It’s an ambition bolstered by plans to evolve the facility into a comprehensive testbed for future vehicle technologies. The proposal is to add a progressively larger network of roads, junctions, buildings and street furniture and site-wide high-speed connectivity – all supported by a robust testing framework. Conversations are already underway across the mobility sphere, and the Future Mobility Testing Facility hopes to develop and evaluate technologies within the proving ground’s boundary as well as on local roads. 

“The vision of the organization and the function of the facility is to inspire, promote and facilitate the development of future mobility solutions. Our in-depth experience and knowledge with ANCAP testing allows us to confidently provide technical advice when it comes to testing the capabilities and limitations in CAV development,” affirms Lai. 

“We are able to set up benchmark/platform test activities that can be modified and implemented for other CAV pilot and trial programs, by adopting well-established test methods and providing high-quality solutions to support the development of new technologies.”

The world’s oldest car maker is currently taking its biggest step yet into electrification. Although the EQS isn’t the first electric Mercedes-Benz, the luxury saloon is its first product designed from the ground up never to use a combustion engine, and it’s primed for ongoing changes. Half of the company’s global sales will be plug-ins within a decade, and all will be dust-to-dust carbon neutral within two. 

Production of the EQS will take place alongside the new S-Class in Sindelfingen, but the two cars were developed separately and have almost nothing in common. The electric-only EVA platform incorporates a crash-proof battery compartment within a long wheelbase, and drive units either at the rear or at both axles. 

The vehicle will be debuting at the top of the line-up, and for chief engineer Dr Oliver Röcker, the EQS had to live up to the S-Class legacy, without the advantage of generations of hindsight to work from. 

“If a Mercedes-Benz carries the ‘S’ in its name, then it must be of the highest standard – it has to be perfect, so to speak,” he says. “The development methods are comparable, but with the EQS we started this from scratch – we couldn’t look at how the previous S-Class solved a problem, and how we could improve it. This was a very challenging project, and we have chosen very different solutions to the combustion S-Class because we have an electric-only platform,” explains Röcker.

These are familiar demands. Röcker joined the program around three-and-a-half years ago, having held similar roles within the development of previous versions of the S-Class and M-Class (now GLE) SUV. Demands on R&D are evolving at pace, he says. 

“Development has changed a lot during the last few years. We are becoming more and more software driven within the car itself, but more and more hardware development is also being done by simulation. Today we simulate the whole car in crash testing, aerodynamics, even ride and handling, and in hardware we just do validation. Software knowledge is becoming increasingly important in our organization.” 

Shape shifting
Recognizing that aerodynamic performance would be a vital component of its 700km-plus range target, the EQS’s cab-forward shape results from more than 1,000 calculation runs in a virtual wind tunnel, with fidelity high enough to require 700 CPUs. 

Designers and engineers then made collaborative adjustments to clay models within the wind tunnels at Sindelfingen, tightening panel gaps, adjusting the shape of the mirrors and adding arrow-shaped wheel arch spoilers to optimize airflow for efficiency, cooling and downforce. With a flat floor and retracting door handles, the drag coefficient of 0.20C_d is said to make this the most aerodynamic car in the world, and sportier trim levels have little effect on that figure. 

The lack of engine noise was a double-edged sword, removing some sounds but making others easier to hear. Flow simulations – validated by noise measurements using a microphone array and artificial human head, which can hear just like the real thing – informed the foam barrier between the battery and cabin, acoustic dividers in the tailgate and a unique trim between the A-pillar and windshield; cavities are filled with acoustic foam. Every moving part was chosen for its near-silent operation. 

In tandem, engineers at the Mercedes-Benz Drive Systems Campus in Stuttgart-Untertürkheim were working toward similar goals, focused on powertrain NVH. Recent upgrades have introduced facilities for building and intensively testing electric powertrains, including 24 test benches that can supply direct
current to drive units, or installations where the full system, including charging systems, can be examined. These are adapted to work with the aggressive torque delivery of an electric vehicle during acceleration and regenerative braking – depending on the drive mode, the motor contributes more than half of the
car’s stopping force. Even the magnets and coils within the drive motors are optimized for minimal NVH. 

Energy levels
There were other important analyses specific to the platform, as Röcker explains: “In an electric vehicle, we don’t just test the driving [experience]. We tested the charging intensively in different locations, with different providers, in different climate conditions – rain, snow, very cold temperatures, charging a car that was cold and had been started just a few minutes ago – to find the best strategy to precondition the car, and so on. We have to check the interaction with the charging infrastructure, even in markets that don’t have the most extreme climate conditions, but have specialties in the power network.” 

The EQS features up to 350 sensors that monitor the vehicle’s systems and its surroundings. Driver assistance and telematics features had to be validated with differing road layouts and signage. Prototypes were used to evaluate how the vehicles responded to heavy dust or snow, and to look for anomalies such as unwanted noises and reflections within the cabin that aren’t always possible to find in simulation. Engineers optimized how every kilowatt is used, regardless of climate. 

“In an electric vehicle, every piece of energy counts,” continues Röcker. “If a system is not working, or it is not needed, then it should not take energy from the battery. We tested which systems were essential, how much energy they take and how to optimize that. It was intensive work.”

Of course, the payback is an abundance of useful hindsight for future vehicle projects. The platform is variable by wheelbase, track width and battery capacity – the EQS has up to 108kWh installed. The smaller EQE saloon and two SUVs planned for the platform will build on what’s been learned at the top of the range, and could influence the MMA compact car architecture, which is due in 2025. That said, despite taking steps into a new era, some familiar processes will remain.   

“Simulation becomes even more important as the complexity rises,” says Röcker. “But at the moment, hardware testing has to take place to validate our simulations and make sure that a car that is carrying the ‘S’ in its name is ready for the customer. The combination of systems and the behaviors of materials, you can only see this in reality.”

Journey beyond
Efforts to centralize development proved timely. At Sindelfingen, the new crash laboratory includes facilities for testing electric vehicles, and battery packs were subjected to shock, penetration and overcharging tests in-house, as well as impacts to ensure safety performance exceeds regulatory requirements. 

Facilities here are augmented by the company’s Test and Technology Center, an hour away in Immendingen, which includes road layouts, signage and traffic conditions simulating environments across the world. Mercedes-Benz aims to move 90% of endurance testing here – including cold-climate tests – and the EQS was an unexpected early case study. 

“One of the major drivers [of the investment in Immendingen] was to reduce travel and reduce transportation of the cars,” explains chief engineer Dr Oliver Röcker. “It was very helpful to have all these facilities where we could intensively test the EQS, and we used them intensively during the project – also due to our traveling restrictions [because of Covid-19] over the last one-and-a-half years.”

Despite travel restrictions, progressively more mature prototypes have completed several million kilometers of on-road testing since the first chassis and powertrain mules were assembled three years ago. Röcker says most of the test locations are similar to those used for combustion engine projects. They included climate testing in Scandinavia across to the Middle East, high-speed driving at Nardò in Italy, and ride and handling validation spanning Asia and North America. Results from global teams were fed back to engineers at Stuttgart-Untertürkheim. 

McLaren is no stranger to hybridization – electric assistance was fundamental to the P1’s hypercar performance in 2012 and the Speedtail’s 403km/h top speed run seven years later – but the Artura takes it into uncharted territory. Artura is the car maker’s first all-new model since the MP4-12C a decade ago, contending not only with the weight and complexity of a high-performance hybrid system, but bringing the cost close to the 570S it indirectly replaces. 

“We’ve increased the number of people in our team with specialist hybrid engineering skills, both in simulation and physical testing,” explains the vehicle’s chief engineer, Geoff Grose. “Our continued strand
of hybrid research and development – from P1 through Speedtail and Artura – has helped with this. But Artura is built to reach far more of our customers, so the balance between investment and price is different.”

Development began with a spider chart around five years ago, setting out attributes for a new hybrid-only platform built around a mid-mounted electrified powertrain. The scalable McLaren Carbon Lightweight Architecture (MCLA) is the first product from the firm’s composites development and production facility near Sheffield, UK, and it’s designed for low weight, high stiffness and heavily automated production.
Less than 30% requires human intervention, compared with 80% for the MP4-12C.  

The structure beneath Artura comprises a carbon-fiber monocoque with aluminum for the crash bars
and subframe, accommodating a powertrain which Grose says takes advantage of weight and size reductions for hybrid technology that were unavailable during previous vehicle projects. 

Its 7.4kWh lithium-ion battery sits within a structural housing, paired with a pancake-shaped axial flux electric motor between the twin-turbocharged, wide-angle V6 petrol engine and 8-speed dual-clutch transmission. The new 12V electrical architecture is split into four domain controllers, located close to the systems they operate and connected via a high-speed Ethernet architecture, which cuts cable weight by 25%.

Balancing act
Such was the complexity of the hybrid system that it took shape ahead of the Artura’s silhouette. New 3D sketching technology, used for the first time on this project, enabled designers to quickly produce wireframes for CFD analysis and optimize chassis geometry with engineers. 

Crash testing of MCLA prototypes began in 2019, by which point the hybrid system had been through in-house dyno testing and was being retrofitted to 570S-based mules, which Grose says required little or no camouflage.

“We were able to integrate early V6 engines, electric motors and transmissions into heavily modified versions of the previous vehicle to run as early development mules. Even before new parts make it into
the development vehicle fleet there are many different component and system level tests, for example engines running on dynamometers, and there is a lot more of this level of testing with a new platform development,” he explains.

“We didn’t have that background when we started on the 12C, so it was good to be able to work on a car that we knew really well and it was a lot easier than creating bespoke powertrain mules.”

Technical challenges were compounded by the onset of Covid-19 travel restrictions during the final stages of development. This reduced the size of teams that could be sent out to McLaren’s test facility at Idiada, Spain, requiring engineers to work alone where possible. As a result, a greater than normal share of the validation was carried out at sites in the UK, incorporating extensive durability testing based on data from McLaren’s existing road and race cars.  

Nardò proved vital to that process. Alongside chassis tuning, a benchmark of the Artura’s hybrid system was its ability to provide full performance consistently during a 10-lap session at the Italian circuit. With no regenerative braking, engineers developed a charging strategy to quickly refill the battery using ‘spare’ energy from the engine and deploy it under load – torque infill from the motor provides the fastest throttle response yet. This also required three cooling circuits; the battery sharing its refrigerant with the cabin, the electric components with the charge coolers, and high-temperature radiators for the engine, with ducts flowing air through the turbochargers within its ‘hot vee’. 

“Our learning on hybrid technology integration into our new McLaren Carbon Lightweight Architecture will be important for our future vehicle programs,” concludes Grose. “As we have done over the last decade, we will continue to push ourselves to keep developing the capability of our vehicles, now with added focus on hybrid technology.”

How has simulation helped Volkswagen to reduce the number of physical prototypes it crash tests?
Some prototypes have been saved over the years, but the number of load cases, complexity and demand has grown. At the same time, the capabilities of simulation have improved a lot; it’s become more accurate, more detailed and many effects can be simulated today, which were not possible in the past. For example, some years ago, quite coarse multi-body simulation was used, airbags were very coarse and accuracy was not very high. Just some basic effects could be explained, and the degree of detail was very low.

Today, full crash simulation is used for each configuration and load case, there are quite detailed models of dummies, airbags, interiors and so on. Models of gas flow within air bag models, complex deformation and rupture models for plastics, as well as many other new possibilities, have opened up in simulation. The result is, the ability to handle more complex scenarios with the same amount of testing, and to get a higher degree of maturity within our product development process.

There is a chance that we will not need prototypes for some development projects. Right now, we are in a transition to get rid of prototypes within the next years. It is our goal to eliminate every kind of hardware testing during development (eg. down to the airbag module level), with only release tests required before market introduction of a new car.

What factors are driving innovation in simulation?
[An increasing number of] vehicle variants, the growing complexity in demands and the opportunity to speed up development and assess more parameters – and ultimately make cars safer.

In the last few years, great advances in simulation have been made, including methods of simulation, data handling preparation, in meshing, as well as in pure computer power, and floating point operations (flops).

Thanks to the new possibilities in high-speed data transfer, we are able to place our number crunchers in cold locations such as Norway and Iceland, which avoids a huge amount of cooling effort, energy and carbon dioxide.

What new simulation tools, software and methods has Volkswagen introduced recently, and how are they changing the way you work?
In recent years, we have made good advances in rupture models for metals in crash, as well as for plastics with their quite complex deformation and rupture behavior. A highly innovative method to simulate sand for our rollover load cases has been developed and introduced, so we were able to get rid of some tests for data recovery for sensor applications. Furthermore, we are making good progress in understanding very fast gas flow out of airbag gas generators at levels of Mach 8. One of the most important things in simulation and crash development is to understand the spread and possibly chaotic acting of non-linear dynamics and means crash behaviour and to stabilize it to a robust behavior. We are working on tools to extract different kinds of results scatter, to handle and avoid them. In parallel we are working on optimization tools for crash development at a deeper level.

In the last few years, we have been able to get a good background on biomechanics in terms of human model simulation. We are developing human models further and have developed a reactive human model within our group research. It is able to react to accelerations in lateral and longitudinal direction, and includes virtual muscles and an internal controller. In this way, we are able to predict the behavior of human bodies during low accelerations such as braking or evasive maneuvers, and the following crash sequences.

What are the hardest aspects of crash testing to carry out virtually, and why?
It is still a demanding task to forecast every possible issue by simulation. There is still some way to go here.

How is Volkswagen working closely with simulation companies to develop new tools?
We are working with software developers and providers to improve tools and introduce new simulation methods and so on. Engineering and software engineering companies are involved in this process of method development. The fluid pointset method has been developed to improve the gas flow in airbags; tools for handling, placing and buckling dummies and human models in front of a crash simulation [have been devised]; tools to handle robustness, for the optimization of complex airbag shapes; many process chains (virtual airbag folding) and so on.

More on simulation trends and challenges in crash testing can be found in Automotive Testing Technology International‘s sister publication, Crash Test Technology International 2021 – the world’s first and only magazine dedicated to crash test technology and implementation. Supported by the world’s leading crash test equipment manufacturers and service providers, the magazine highlights the latest trends, developments and technological advancements in safety systems testing.

Mazda’s global R&D operation might be known for its propensity to explore the unfamiliar, but in the 2020s, it seems automotive developers are more willing than ever to try new and unfamiliar things. The recently launched MX-30 not only embodies the industry’s ongoing shift toward SUVs, but also expands Mazda’s already broad powertrain mix to include the OEM’s first battery-electric package. 

As global program manager Tomiko Takeuchi stresses, the company’s engineering process is steered as much by how it can accommodate customers as components. “In our research and development, we are still highly interested in understanding the physical characteristics and psychology of people,” she affirms. “We want our products and services to deliver a smile to customers; ‘people’. Each human being has unique characteristics such as age, body features, experiences and senses, and there are a lot of areas that need further research in order to understand the ‘people’.” 

Something special
The MX-30 was launched in the same year that Mazda celebrated its centenary. Founded in 1920 as
a manufacturer of cork products, Mazda is a relative newcomer to the automotive arena. The Japanese
giant built its first car, the R360, in 1960. The coupe was the beginnings of a rapid global expansion that later spawned a network of regional R&D hubs and fostered an open-minded approach built on unconventional ideas and solutions. 

According to Takeuchi, the MX-5, as one of the OEM’s most successful showpieces, was what lured her to join the company back in 1997 after graduating from Kyushu University, and having grown up in Mazda’s hometown of Hiroshima. “I loved vehicles from a young age. I had a car as a student and remember thinking it was wonderful how it expanded my range of abilities, allowed me to discover new people and places and brought a smile to my face. I wanted to share this appeal with as many others as possible, so I joined Mazda, which was local and familiar.” 

As she recalls, demands on engineers at the time were changing constantly. Furthermore, at the turn of the millennium, Mazda’s collaboration with Ford was gaining momentum. Its model range was reaching a much wider geographical audience. Takeuchi grabbed hold of the opportunity this offered and got stuck into her duties. 

After two years focusing on electrical and electronics development, she made history when she became Mazda’s first female test driver in 1999. Her feedback contributed considerably to the creation of the Mazda5 MPV and RX-8 coupe. Takeuchi had a flair for evaluating, and she also became the only female within the organization to achieve the top-level license in test driving. Such a feat is rare, according to Mazda, as not all evaluators manage to accomplish this. 

Inside job
It goes without saying that Takeuchi’s opinion is highly valued within the firm, and her input has shaped some of Mazda’s most important products. She’s also been lucky enough to travel to worldwide locations with various co-workers to proving grounds in Japan, Europe and North America. One of her proudest achievements, she notes, was providing guidance to endow the Mazda2 and MX-5 with that ‘driver focus’ that attracted her to the OEM in the first place. 

As tech becomes more important within the vehicle sphere, interdepartmental conversations have become more frequent, Takeuchi says. “We used to work only on what we were expected to, depending on the department we belonged to, and then we would pass the baton on to the next department; there was
a tendency to divide people vertically. 

“However, Mazda now values the idea of removing departmental barriers and co-creating as one team.
I work with individuals from many departments, but I have come to particularly value communication with frontline personnel, such as those in sales and public relations, both in Japan and abroad,” she reveals, pointing to the marque’s intrinsic customer-focus. 

To be successful in working as a team, it’s crucial to develop one’s understanding of the daily challenges of each area of the business, Takeuchi says: “It’s important to listen to what the other party is dealing with
and make them feel at ease about accepting your suggestions. Here, listening is also important.” 

Natural flair
Those synergies were said to be more imperative than ever for the MX-30 regime, which was headed
up by Takeuchi and began in 2015. Tasked with taking the SUV from concept to reality, the role involved coordinating and overseeing 1,000 members of staff. She says it was a program unlike any other. 

Mazda is aiming for a 90% reduction in well-to-wheel CO₂ emissions fleet-wide by 2050 from the 2010 baseline, and it is not relying on electrification to accomplish this goal. The automotive manufacturer plans to achieve a 50% CO₂ reduction by 2030, by which time 95% of its products will still have a combustion engine. That’s because, as Mazda states, electric options must be plausible beyond their ability to reduce tailpipe emissions. 

The MX-30 project presented an unusual challenge, and a raft of original technologies were examined during the R&D process, Takeuchi reveals. Engineers had to work with a powertrain that had no reference points beyond small-scale trials. Furthermore, the electric vehicle’s compatibility with external factors had to be validated, including regional charging infrastructure, grid carbon intensity, as well as wide-ranging customer expectations. 

In addition, the team decided to explore new materials applications within the cabin, such as recycled cork and PET. Meanwhile, the controls, seating and interior displays had to be calibrated to adopt Mazda-specific characteristics. 

For Takeuchi, working with those complications is a large part of what made the MX-30’s development so extraordinary. “The MX-30 is the most rewarding [program I’ve worked on]. We accumulated expertise on the development process and preparation of mass production of an EV. We also prepared electrification technologies that use a rotary engine as a power generator,” she says. 

“We are readying ourselves to offer solutions that meet the regulatory and infrastructure requirements of countries and regions around the world.”

Eco focus
On top of the ever-lengthening list of difficulties that must be tackled during each development cycle, the Covid-19 pandemic forced Mazda’s personnel to try out different working practices, such as flexible hours. According to Takeuchi, it has catalyzed a renewed focus on operational efficiency that will influence how future R&D programs are conducted. 

Nonetheless, Takeuchi believes the starting point for all projects will remain the same, and that alliances will be essential. “The biggest challenge we face in the next 10 years is co-existing with the environment – or simply, decarbonization. It is an issue that we as a society must address, not only with technologies incorporated in automobiles, such as electrification tech, but also with cleaner technologies to generate electricity and the development of infrastructure,” she stresses. 

“Recently emerging technologies in electrification and autonomous driving have drawn a lot of interest – we see them as solutions to issues linked to the environment and people, and believe that ‘people’ should be the main protagonists of the story.”

New ground
Mazda first introduced its virtual test suite in 1996. Its role was broadened in 2000 to reduce product time-to-market, halve the size of Mazda’s prototype fleets and facilitate easier collaboration across continents with colleagues at Ford at the time. 

An integral testing tool today, Takeuchi says the company’s engineers are still finding new ways to leverage simulation. “For the MX-30, applying model-based development to more areas was essential. This included safety development, especially to develop protection for the battery, and heat control [mechanisms] for the battery. As a result, we have been able to develop an EV with a freestyle door design and packaging without a central pillar,” Takeuchi explains. 

In addition, simulation has an indirect role in reducing the company’s environmental footprint, as Takeuchi comments: “Our mission is to develop safe products that please customers, using processes that are more efficient and eco-friendlier. As [simulation] technology advances, the number of prototype vehicles that we need to build will dwindle.”

Shining example
In addition to the impressive catalog of achievements on Tomiko Takeuchi’s résumé, she has become a role model for women within the marque and across the industry. At Mazda, the female pipeline is said to be strong, and Takeuchi says the company is both supportive and welcoming as an employer. 

She believes, however, that there’s plenty of room for more women to enter the industry to tip the balance, and she encourages others to follow in her career footsteps. 

“There are still very few women in the industry, and I think this works in my favor as people remember my face, which helps me in my work,” Takeuchi says. 

“I hope for women to be tenacious and passionate in selecting the work they want to do, and that once they’ve decided, they never give up. One needs tenacity to carry one’s work through to the end. And what drives one to do so is passion – how deeply you are in love with what you do. I hope all young female professionals feel this way toward their work.” 

On September 10, 1959, the early demise of a W111-series fintail sedan would, in time, frame it as one of Mercedes-Benz’s most important vehicles. Its impact with a scrap metal barrier on a gravel track outside the Sindelfingen plant with a dummy on board marked the company’s first full-vehicle crash test, and the humble beginnings of what’s now a global program that’s still based on the same site 60 years later.

For just over one-third of that timeframe, this has come under the remit of the head of vehicle safety, durability and corrosion protection, Prof. Dr-Ing. Rodolfo Schöneburg. An aerospace engineer by qualification, he’s headed the department since 1999, overseeing the requirements of new markets and technologies, and shifting regulation. The backdrop is very different to 1959, but the ambition is similar: a holistic view of safety several steps ahead of legislators’ demands.

One vision

Today, Sindelfingen brings research and development, planning and production together on one site to improve the efficiency of new product launches, and crash testing is carried out within the vast Technology Centre for Vehicle Safety (TFS), which opened in 2016. Designed in consultation with engineers, the €3m (US$3.4m) facility is focused on better reproduction of crash scenarios, new technologies and closer examination of pre-accident conditions.

Schöneburg explains, “TFS opened up to the engineers numerous test facilities and completely new possibilities, for example for vehicle-to-vehicle tests, the configuration of assistance systems and Pre-Safe, and for the verification of vehicle concepts using alternative drive systems.”

Work here is fast-paced, comprising 900 crash and 1,700 sled tests each year, so the site is designed for high flexibility and time-efficiency. Its 8,100m2  crash hall has no internal pillars and uses a mobile partitioning system that enables four tracks of up to 200m in length to operate simultaneously. Engineers can access 70 configurations, including vehicle-to-vehicle impacts from any angle, and one of the five crash blocks can be rotated around its vertical axis to quickly change the barrier type, shortening preparation times.

Schöneburg says this has become a necessity: “Testing protocols and crash requirements are getting more intricate. More and more countries define their own requirements and even small adaptations lead to an extended outlay of crash tests,” he explains.

“Market requirements are increasing the broad Mercedes-Benz product portfolio, which has grown considerably, and due to the fact that we always go beyond the number and scope of the legally prescribed tests in our crash test program, the number of crash tests and crash configurations has steadily grown over the past few years.”

Around 40 of the impact configurations are designed around ratings systems, but TFS also offers facilities for Daimler’s own 50cm roof-drop test, plus stands for head impacts and an adjustable rollover ramp. New models are put through between 100 and 150 tests before production, with each recorded at 1,000 images per second by cameras alongside the impact and in 5m-deep filming pits. Sled tests are camera-tracked by a separate unit, minimizing the payload of the sled itself.

Under one roof

One of the biggest advantages Schöneburg sees for the TFS is its ability to incorporate a much wider variety of crash scenarios – including the company’s first indoor testing of safety systems for trucks. In turn, it offers ideal lighting and weather conditions, and the ability to document impacts on film, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Regulatory requirements are much lower for trucks than they are for cars. Trucks must be certified to ECE R29/3, retaining a survival cell following a 1.5 metric ton pendulum impact with the front and roof of the cab, and the A-pillars – simulating a frontal collision and rollover. Daimler trucks meet these requirements, but TFS will enable the company to develop additional testing based on accident data, to further improve passive safety.

Facilities are adapted to suit. The glass floor over the imaging pits is designed to withstand vehicles weighing more than 7.5 metric tons – five times more than a car – and the tracks are reconfigurable to suit different angles, impact speeds and barrier configurations.

“Trucks, vans, buses and cars are closely networked with each other and with our central research activities. It means that each business unit benefits from the developments and experience of the others,” says Schöneburg.

World service

New technologies are streamlining the process. Engineers are using augmented reality (AR) goggles to attach deformation measuring points during the preparation phase, and results obtained by photogrammetry are underpinning better correlation with virtual models. Scans are carried out on a turntable, with tools that will soon become fully automated, while unmanned drones follow yellow floor markings to ensure tracks are clear of personnel before a test.

“With colleagues in India and China, the accident researchers are also able to operate internationally,” continues Schöneburg. “The accident researchers in the Far East benefit from the expertise from Sindelfingen. With the help of AR goggles, they can compare notes with colleagues directly and in real time and thus conduct joint analyses even though the German accident research experts are not on-site.

“The user behavior and accidents in European and Asian countries differ greatly. The aim of the accident research in Asia is also to develop approaches for reducing the significantly higher number of victims compared with Europe, for example.”

Sindelfingen also offers better data collection. The site features a MicroTrack system that halves the width of the guide rails, from 180mm to 70mm, offering more complete image capture under the vehicle during a crash, and work is already underway to go a step further. Daimler is developing an interface to remotely control vehicles, which it says will further reduce configuration times, provide a greater degree of adjustment and better replicate the kinematics of a real crash by applying the brakes – something a draw cable can’t offer.

Schöneburg believes this physical element remains crucial, despite advances in digitization: “The current development program for a new, production-mature model comprises around 15,000 realistic crash test simulations with digital prototypes. Thanks to simulation, tests can now be conducted much more purposefully and efficiently,” he explains.

“Hardware testing will remain an important pillar of vehicle safety, and it’s important to also look at crashes on the roads, because not all accident constellations can be simulated in crash configurations, such as material properties, connection technology and kinematics – for example, chassis.”

However, the two processes are closely linked. The company has begun collecting x-ray images of vehicles after testing, providing detailed examination of component performance and improving the accuracy of digital models. It’s also co-developing an active crash sled with TÜV Süd, which will enable low-volume, high-cost early body prototypes to be used for multiple early-stage tests of trim and door structures before full vehicles are available.

The only constant is change

Although it’s a long way from the gravel track and scrap metal that started the process 60 years ago, Schöneburg sees plenty of new challenges on the horizon as the company begins its seventh decade. “Besides the alternative drivetrains, we are facing challenges in new seating positions of occupants in automated vehicles. If the driver is not in charge of the driving task, he or she might take a more comfortable seating position, that in turn leads to new occupant protection concepts that need to be ensured,” he says.

“With TFS we not only cover the requirements of current legislation and rating standards, but are also equipped for the future.”

The project kicked off in 2018 under Federico Landini, vehicle line executive for sport vehicles. An FCA Group engineer of 20 years, first at Ferrari but latterly having worked on almost every product in the current Maserati range, it was the whiteboard in his office where the initial cornerstones were set out. This included not only road-going performance and comfort criteria, but also the flexibility to meet the requirements of the race series it will eventually compete in.

“The idea was to do something impressive, to be a milestone and remain a milestone as the MC12 was,” Landini explains. “The entire vehicle is designed from scratch, and it’s a completely new architecture – the most similar vehicle we developed was 15 years ago. What we have taken from the past is only some ideas in terms of vision. The Maserati MC12 was a visionary vehicle, but we have not used any [shared] components.”

Most of the development program took place in Modena, not only home to the plant where the MC20 will be built, but to Maserati’s Innovation Lab, which opened in 2015. The facility  employs around 1,100 engineers and has expanded with heavy recruitment drives from Italy’s very best technical universities. It features cutting-edge simulation capabilities which Landini claims were crucial for accelerating development, particularly during the program’s early stages. Digital models enabled the composite-rich chassis to be optimized for stiffness and crash performance, and for engineers to focus in on handling characteristics before physical prototypes had even been constructed. 

“Those simulations are helping us even now we are running all the test on the track,” continues Landini. “It’s helping us to make quick decisions, because we can swap easily from one setup to another, finalize the number of tests that we want to do on the track and concentrate on the target. 

“Simulation technology is offering us the possibility to do quicker, faster, different setup of the vehicle. You can choose, from over 1,000 configurations, three or four that you want to test on the track. The final setup needs to be done from our experience on the track or on the amazing roads that we have all around Modena.” 

Prototype to production

Development of physical components focused at first on the powertrain. Maserati will offer a battery-electric version of the MC20, alongside its new 630hp twin-turbo Nettuno V6 gasoline engine – the company’s first in-house engine program in 20 years, using what’s claimed to be the very first pre-chamber combustion system on a road car. The monocoque is identical for both powertrains, Landini notes, and differs completely to anything else in the range. 

“We started to have the first mules for the powertrain in 2019, around the end of the summer. It was a specific design, because there’s no vehicle in our range that will accept this new powertrain. We have taken some of the components from other vehicles, but we have designed the chassis and body from scratch. So there was a big effort from our side because we have [effectively] designed two vehicles.” 

The first full MC20 prototypes followed in January, and around 100 have been constructed in Modena since, at varying technological levels depending on build date and purpose. Test locations were familiar from other vehicles, including track testing at FCA’s facility in Bolocco, and at Nardò and the Nürburgring. MC20’s track testing was overseen by former GT1 championship winner turned Maserati test driver Andrea Bertolini, who was also involved in the development of the MC12.

“We have also introduced testing at some grand prix test tracks, which is not common for our vehicles,” adds Landini. “For our own tests we are lucky because here in Motor Valley we have some of the most famous roads in the world to test the vehicle. We are using these roads in physical testing, and also in the simulator.”

This on-road testing process is ongoing. Endurance testing was undertaken in the USA, and switching between hemispheres has enabled year-round hot and cold testing. Landini believes “a few million” collective kilometers of physical tests will have been carried out by the time the first cars reach customers early next year.

Data taken from prototype drives is enabling notably better correlated HIL simulations, allowing more iterations of mechanical and bodywork tuning to take place in a shorter timeframe. This also proved important as Covid-19 lockdowns required both in-house engineers and suppliers to quickly adopt remote working during the final phases of the project. Simulation, including a virtual test driver, enabled fine-tuning to continue while most of Europe was shut down. 

Landini says that almost all of the development process can be carried out in simulation, particularly in terms of handling characteristics, but adds that physical tests remain important for performance cars. During these final stages, around half of the work is undertaken virtually, working hand in hand with teams on the road. Fine-tuning of handling, NVH, driveability and shift patterns is still difficult to simulate, he says, and still requires validation with prototype drives.

“Our first target with simulation is not to reduce the number of vehicles or save money, but to increase speed and productivity of the engineers. For example, for the MC20’s handling we completed 98% of the hardware development in the simulator, then we moved to the physical vehicle to finalize the [remaining] 2%. It gives our customers the feeling of finely tuned dynamics and comfort that is not possible in the simulator.”

In the meantime, Maserati is working closely with its suppliers to ready the overhauled Modena factory for production – a process in which around 600 people are currently involved. The Modena site was chosen for its specialism in smaller-volume production, but has recently had a new paint shop constructed (removing the need to outsource painting to Ferrari) alongside adaptations to the line, including for the electric drivetrain. Having laid out the framework for its future race career, the company lists motorsport development as the next priority once the road version is ready.

“Despite the amount of work that we have done, we need to concentrate on the work that is remaining. We can say the job is done once we see the customer and stakeholders satisfied. That is the goal and main target for us at Maserati.”

Maserati’s electric era

Maserati is embarking on its electrification program with a hybrid version of the Ghibli  and battery-electric GranTurismo and GranCabrio over the coming months, and the MC20 will mark a step forward for the technology. Landini claims this will incorporate next-gen battery tech with long-range and ultra-fast charging, as well as supporting tailored driving modes. 

Simulation enabled Maserati to explore “hundreds of configurations” for weight distribution, powertrain characteristics and center of gravity early on. Prototypes of the electric MC20 were built at the start of 2020, using a powertrain developed at the Innovation Lab in Modena, and testing on road and track is ongoing. As an early electrified powertrain, data acquired from this process is invaluable not only for this vehicle but for other products too. 

“You not only have to consider the constraint of the internal combustion engine powertrain, but you have to have vision. You need to introduce constraints that are totally different in terms of legality, distribution
of weight, balancing the power and the vehicle, as well as performing at the maximum level in electric and gasoline versions,” says Landini.

“From the electrification point of view, the development of the controls is really important. This is something that is introducing a lot of tests on the ground – you cannot simulate this very easily because it’s the first time that we are approaching this kind of work, and we have not correlated the model enough.

“It’s day by day work, going back and forth between the simulator, the road and the track, but we need to increase the correlation of our model. To work like we did 10 years ago only on the track, with this amount
of complexity in terms of controls, software and so on, is not the best configuration you can do today.”

Simulator selection

Static simulator

The starting point for all products, this comprises a vehicle cockpit with three projectors and high computational power for DIL testing and feedback. Early validation work, including the very  first HIL tests for subsystems and characteristics, are undertaken here.

Dynamic simulator

Maserati’s bespoke Driver-in-Motion simulator is based on the OEM’s own proprietary controls, and designed to reduce the number of prototypes required by closely simulating the final product, enabling virtual sign-off. An underlying air cushion and nine actuators, as opposed to the usual six degrees of freedom, offer smooth, high-fidelity reproduction of driving dynamics on a variety of surfaces and environments. By enabling new configurations to ‘lap’ several race circuits within a single day and with settings adjusted in minutes, it’s claimed this simulator can halve time-to-market. 

User eXperience labs

Multisensory vehicle interactions are emulated in separate laboratories, streamlining HMI, driver assistance and electric drivetrain validation. The OEM says it can reproduce driving posture and visibility, and test distraction potential from controls, displays and audio warnings in these facilities. Simulation undertaken here includes development of vehicle ‘soundtracks’ and the ability to emulate lighting conditions for any location, time and season, enabling engineers to check for cabin reflections and glare.

By Alex Grant