This 9-minute video introduces CarSim and shows the basic use. June 2020.

This 12-minute video shows some advanced features of CarSim. June 2020.

This 3-min video demonstrates the new virtual steering axis front suspension type available in CarSim 2020.1. June 2020.

CarSim delivers the most accurate, detailed, and efficient methods for simulating the performance of passenger vehicles and light-duty trucks. With twenty years of real-world validation by automotive engineers, CarSim is universally the preferred tool for analyzing vehicle dynamics, developing active controllers, calculating a car’s performance characteristics, and engineering next-generation active safety systems.

Current version: 2024.3

CarSim Advantages

CarSim, TruckSim, and BikeSim are used worldwide by over 110 OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers and over 200 universities and government research labs. (There are thousands of active CarSim seats, not including driving simulators or students.) Here are some reasons why so many engineers have selected CarSim:

1. CarSim is used extensively by 7 of the 10 largest automotive OEMs. OEM users consistently find close agreement between CarSim predictions and test results.
2. CarSim works as a standalone application; it does not require any other software to perform simulations.
3. On the other hand, CarSim has a standard interface to MATLAB/Simulink, NI LabVIEW, and FMI/FMU.
4. CarSim allows users to build complex scenarios and test event sequences.
5. CarSim includes built-in controllers to mimic driver behavior: path following, speed and acceleration control, gear shifting and mechanical clutch control, etc.
6. CarSim supports:
   
   
   1. Software-in-the-loop
   2. Model-in-the-loop
   3. Hardware-in-the-loop
   4. Driver-in-the-loop
7. Model options such as trailers, dual tires, and ADAS sensors are supported in the CarSim Math Model library. Here is the PDF with CarSim Model and License Options.
8. CarSim has an intuitive user interface and powerful analysis tools .
9. CarSim supports vehicle sensors and interactive traffic for V2V and ADAS development.
10. CarSim includes numerous example vehicles, roads, and procedures to assist first-time users.
11. CarSim parameters and tables are measurable, and there are privately owned companies that can measure vehicles for use in CarSim.
12. CarSim includes about 3000 pages of indexed documentation covering all aspects of the software.
13. CarSim includes example datasets for over 15 vehicle types (with about 80 variants in total), used in over 600 example simulations.
14. CarSim is economical in comparison to other commercial vehicle dynamics software tools.

VehicleSim Technology

CarSim, BikeSim, and TruckSim all use technology first introduced in 1990 and developed continuously since then. Efficient parametric math models reproduce system-level vehicle dynamics behavior, under the control of a GUI intended for engineers who need to evaluate vehicle/controller behavior without spending weeks of training. VehicleSim products also include the VS Visualizer tool for viewing simulations with plots and photo-realistic animation.

In addition to the built-in capabilities of the CarSim models, the VehicleSim software tools include methods to extend the capabilities with user-defined programs and/or connections to third-party software:

1. Commercial simulation environments Simulink (the MathWorks), and LabVIEW (National Instruments).
2. Simulation environents that support the Functional Mockup Interface (FMI); CarSim can automatically generate Functional Mockup Units (FMUs) that work in many external software environments.
3. VS Commands (the built-in scripting language).
4. Run with custom programs (MATLAB, Visual Basic, C/C++) using the VS SDK (software development kit).
5. Run with remote control via Windows COM and other methods.
6. Support of HIL (hardware in the loop) testing on major RT (real time) platforms.
7. Support of driving simulators that use CarSim as the RT vehicle math model.

See the links in the sidebar for more information about the technology and simulation features available in CarSim.