CarSim Overview

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: 2025.1

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:

Industry Validation

CarSim is used extensively by 7 of the 10 largest automotive OEMs. OEM users consistently find close agreement between CarSim predictions and test results.

Standalone Capability

CarSim works as a standalone application; it does not require any other software to perform simulations.

Integration Options

CarSim has a standard interface to MATLAB/Simulink, NI LabVIEW, and FMI/FMU.

Scenario Building

CarSim allows users to build complex scenarios and test event sequences.

Built-in Controllers

CarSim includes built-in controllers to mimic driver behavior: path following, speed and acceleration control, gear shifting and mechanical clutch control, etc.

Testing Support

CarSim supports Software-in-the-loop, Model-in-the-loop, Hardware-in-the-loop, and Driver-in-the-loop.

Model Options

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.

User Interface

CarSim has an intuitive user interface and powerful analysis tools.

Sensor Support

CarSim supports vehicle sensors and interactive traffic for V2V and ADAS development.

Example Content

CarSim includes numerous example vehicles, roads, and procedures to assist first-time users.

Measurable Parameters

CarSim parameters and tables are measurable, and there are privately owned companies that can measure vehicles for use in CarSim.

Documentation

CarSim includes about 3000 pages of indexed documentation covering all aspects of the software.

Datasets

CarSim includes example datasets for over 15 vehicle types (with about 80 variants in total), used in over 600 example simulations.

Cost-Effective

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:

Commercial Integration

Commercial simulation environments Simulink (the MathWorks), and LabVIEW (National Instruments).

FMI Support

Simulation environments that support the Functional Mockup Interface (FMI); CarSim can automatically generate Functional Mockup Units (FMUs) that work in many external software environments.

VS Commands

VS Commands (the built-in scripting language).

Custom Programming

Run with custom programs (MATLAB, Visual Basic, C/C++) using the VS SDK (software development kit).

Remote Control

Run with remote control via Windows COM and other methods.

HIL Support

Support of HIL (hardware in the loop) testing on major RT (real time) platforms.

Driving Simulators

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.