News Summary
VI-grade will host the 2025 North American Zero Prototypes Day in Novi, Michigan, focusing on simulation-based vehicle development. This technical event on June 12 will showcase dynamic driving simulators and cutting-edge software platforms, offering engineers opportunities to engage with simulation tools and learn from industry leaders. Key highlights will include specialized stations on human-machine interface concepts and updates on NVH simulation software. Registration is currently open and free for interested automotive engineers.
Novi, Michigan – VI-grade is set to host the 2025 North American Zero Prototypes Day on June 12 at the Multimatic SimCenter. This one-day technical event will focus on simulation-based vehicle development, highlighting the advancements in automotive engineering that aim to reduce the reliance on physical prototypes.
This event will feature live demonstrations of VI-grade’s cutting-edge software and hardware platforms, including dynamic driving simulators such as the DiM250 and Hardware-in-the-Loop (HiL) systems like AutoHawk. Engineers will have the opportunity to interact with various real-time simulation tools, which include vehicle dynamics (VI-CarRealTime), ADAS development (VI-WorldSim), and NVH analysis (VI-NVHSim).
Moreover, specialized stations will be dedicated to the evaluation of human-machine interface (HMI) concepts within virtual environments, providing practical insights for automotive professionals. Attendees will also benefit from technical presentations by engineers from leading companies, including Honda Motors, Hitachi Astemo, Mcity, and Multimatic. These presentations will elucidate the applications of simulation in vehicle design, system integration, and validation.
A particular highlight of the program will be the afternoon session centered around NVH (Noise, Vibration, and Harshness) simulation, which will feature updates to the VI-NVHSim software, including versions 2025.1 SP1 and 2025.2. This session will cover various topics, including sound design, CAE-test correlations, and electric vehicle sound simulation, and will conclude with an open Q&A session for attendees.
The North American Zero Prototypes Day aims to cater specifically to engineers involved in fields such as ride and handling, ADAS, NVH, and HMI development, offering valuable insights into how simulation tools can be effectively integrated into automotive workflows.
This event builds on the success of the 2025 Zero Prototypes Summit, which took place in May at the SimCenter in Udine, Italy. The global summit attracted over 1,500 participants, with about 300 attending in person and more than 1,200 participating via livestream. Key attendees included representatives from 24 OEMs, 17 Tier 1 suppliers, and six academic and research institutions, supported by 27 industry sponsors.
During the summit, participants had access to nearly 1,000 hands-on demonstration sessions and key technical discussions focused on topics such as vehicle dynamics, ADAS, NVH, and HMI development. Renowned brands such as Alpine, Hyundai METC, Aston Martin Lagonda, Ferrari, Ford Werke, Honda R&D, Multimatic, Porsche Engineering, Stellantis, and Volvo were notable participants at this global summit. Two major product launches were also revealed, underscoring the industry’s ongoing commitment to a simulation-first approach in vehicle development.
Looking ahead, VI-grade aims to expand the regional outreach of the summit, with a Japanese edition of Zero Prototypes Day planned for September 12 in Tokyo. In addition, Rachael Pasini, Editor-in-Chief of Engineering.com, will provide live coverage of the upcoming North American event.
Registration for the Novi, Michigan event is currently open and free of charge, inviting all interested engineers to participate in this vital exploration of simulation in automotive engineering.
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