EDA
System
IP
SolvNetPlus
Training & Education
Automakers everywhere are feeling the pressure of rapidly expanding software content in modern vehicles. As features become more electronics‑driven and interconnected, integrating them late in the development cycle is no longer tenable. And waiting for physical prototypes often leads to delays and late-stage surprises that increase both cost and risk.
The entire automotive industry is forging a new path forward, and Volvo Cars is leading the way.
The esteemed automaker is bringing more software development in‑house. It is shifting from component-centric to whole‑vehicle validation. And it is pulling these efforts into the earliest stages of design and development.
Exec. Guide | Rethinking Automotive Development: Virtualization for the Software-Defined Era
Discover how virtualization improves profit margins, accelerate time to market for vehicles, and secure a competitive edge in the software-defined vehicle era.
To make these transformations possible, Volvo is pioneering the use of cloud‑based electronics digital twins (eDTs). As virtual replicas of a vehicle’s electronic and software systems, eDTs allow developers to test, validate, and optimize those systems long before hardware exists.
To build its eDTs, Volvo is leaning on a team of complementary technology leaders:
- Synopsys provides virtual electronic control units (ECUs) that model how Volvo’s production software runs across the vehicle.
- AWS supplies the cloud infrastructure needed to run full virtual vehicles at scale.
- QNX offers a virtualized version of the operating system powering the vehicle’s main computer.
- RemotiveLabs contributes simulations of the broader physical systems, including signals and interactions from sensors, actuators, and networks that reflect real‑world behavior.
Together, these collaborators are helping Volvo validate software and electronics earlier, faster, and more comprehensively than would be possible using traditional methods.
“We have a long history of working with Synopsys Silver for embedded ECUs,” says Johannes Foufas, technical manager for Volvo Cars Software Factory. “It has the benefit of being fast and stable with a good capability of adding functional mock-up units.”
This type of ECU and software modeling gives Volvo developers a consistent foundation for integration — one that aligns with their existing tools and workflows.
“Silver supports Linux and command line execution,” says Foufas, “which is essential for our software factory.”
Scalability and early detection
Scalability is an equally important piece of the puzzle. Because the eDTs run in the cloud, multiple teams can spin up complete virtual vehicles simultaneously, without waiting for scarce hardware benches or specialized facilities.
“By combining AWS Services such as Amazon EKS and Amazon EC2 Graviton processors with Synopsys Silver virtual ECUs in a digital twin testing environment, OEMs can now perform complex vehicle integration testing at scale,” says Mohammed Hashem, senior industry solutions architect at AWS. “This accelerates development and validation cycles while reducing dependency on physical prototypes.”
It also enables early detection of software problems.
Volvo has tied the eDTs to its continuous integration (CI) pipelines, allowing every code change to be tested in a full‑vehicle context. If a new software update prevents the virtual vehicle from reaching a basic “drivable” state, the issue is identified immediately.
According to Volvo, roughly 30% of all code changes are rejected by this early virtual testing process, catching issues long before they would appear in hardware tests or, worse yet, on the road.
Volvo Cars’ Software Testing Centre in Gothenburg, Sweden (Source: Volvo Cars)
Reliability and realism
Reliability and realism are central to the effectiveness of eDTs. When the simulated environment accurately reflects the real system — from operating system behavior to network timing to the way electronic components exchange information — teams gain a more comprehensive and granular view of the platform and can better understand how the software will behave under real conditions.
“By virtualizing the QNX OS together with Synopsys Silver virtual ECUs in the cloud, we provide a digital twin that mirrors production hardware with exceptional fidelity,” says Sheridan Ethier, vice president of engineering middleware at QNX. “It helps ensure that what works in simulation will work on the road.”
“What this eDT setup demonstrates is that system-level validation doesn’t have to wait for hardware,” adds Aleksandar Filipov, CTO of RemotiveLabs. “By combining virtual ECUs, target binaries, and realistic network infrastructure simulation, teams can validate end-to-end vehicle behavior early, when changes are still inexpensive to make.”
Collaboration and continuous improvement
Through collaboration and innovation, Volvo hasn’t just gained a digital replica of the car, but a faster, safer way of developing it.
“Volvo Cars is rapidly adopting holistic, whole‑vehicle validation, and we’re bringing that rigor into the earliest stages of design and development,” Foufas says. “Core to this transformation is working with Synopsys to pioneer the use of electronics digital twins. With virtualized ECUs, our teams can ‘shift left’ test and validation before hardware exists, enabling us to reduce development cost, increase software quality, and accelerate innovation throughout the lifecycle of our vehicles.”
The company continues refining the environment, exploring improvements such as stronger security, synchronized timing across components, and enhanced sensor and graphics simulation. Each step brings the virtual and physical vehicle closer together.
By embracing cloud-based digital twins, Volvo is demonstrating how legacy automakers can adapt to the realities of software-centric vehicles. And with support from technology leaders, it is on the fast track to delivering safer, more capable cars.
Continue Reading
Is Your Voltage Drop Flow Obsolete? Leading Design Teams are Rethinking Dynamic Voltage Drop (DVD)
Understanding ISO 26262 for Semiconductors: A Guide for the Automotive Industry
