Developing and manufacturing new vehicles is not for the faint of heart. The costs and time involved are so extreme that only the most well-funded and compelling newcomers survive, but GM is taking steps to trim its costs. The company recently said it would move to a completely virtual design and validation system as soon as next year.
Beyond the costs, GM said new vehicle rollouts need to happen faster, making the move to digital processes necessary. The new system will replace the long-running trial-and-error testing process the automaker has employed to date.
GM leaders are well aware that the company can’t make the shift on its own. Its suppliers will need to be on board with the change, and a GM engineering group manager recently acknowledged that, saying, “We have been partnering with the supply base to identify the gaps and put together the plans to achieve our 100 percent virtual plans. We have to keep pace with the rest of the industry. Hardware tests are always kind of limited in scope. You go to prototype vehicles. You go out and you test them. One fails and the other doesn’t, what do you do? Do you react to it? Do you not react to it? What caused the one to fail and not the other?”
The engineer also said that shifting to a virtual process will allow GM to make changes on the fly without needing to fuss with a physical prototype or component. He also noted that the technology should improve GM’s ability to assess the durability of vehicle components.
[Images: General Motors]
Become a TTAC insider. Get the latest news, features, TTAC takes, and everything else that gets to the truth about cars first by subscribing to our newsletter.
