Emerging virtual prototyping technologies, including Synopsys’ native execution on Arm cloud CPUs and frameworks like SOAFEE, are transforming vehicle software development by enabling faster validation, reducing costs, and enhancing collaboration across the automotive supply chain amidst the rise of electric and autonomous vehicles.

Automotive software now sits truly at the heart of vehicle identity and operation, with codebases that in some cases surpass those used in commercial aircraft when it comes to complexity. As electric vehicles (EVs) and autonomous driving technology continue to develop, the dependence on advanced software systems has only grown—covering everything from infotainment and driver assistance systems (ADAS) to traction control and powertrain management. OEMs and suppliers are under increasing pressure to cut down development cycles, roll out continuous updates throughout a vehicle’s lifetime, and adhere to strict standards for quality, safety, and security—all while dealing with tighter budgets.

Now, traditional hardware-in-the-loop (HiL) testing setups, although still important, are starting to struggle with the rapid pace and flexible demands of software-focused development models. These systems tend to be expensive, suffer from high latency, and don’t easily adapt to changing needs, often leading to delays due to hardware availability or long revision cycles. That’s why the automotive industry is increasingly turning to cloud-native development methods and virtual prototyping initiatives to speed up software development and testing, all while lessening reliance on physical hardware.

Enter virtual prototypes, also known as electronics digital twins (eDTs). These simulate how automotive compute platforms behave at various levels of fidelity, enabling continuous integration, testing, and deployment (CI/CD) workflows without waiting for actual hardware to be ready. This shift allows developers to start software work early—sometimes even before silicon or ECU hardware has been manufactured—thus cutting down overall time to market. Tools like QEMU in the open-source world have shown the benefits of doing early software development on emulated architectures. But, honestly, traditional emulation has its limits. It can struggle to scale effectively with modern processors such as Arm’s Cortex-A720AE or to meet the performance levels needed for cloud-based continuous integration.

Synopsys has pushed the envelope with its Virtualizer Native Execution tech, which runs Arm embedded software directly on Arm server CPUs in the cloud—no emulation or physical ECUs needed. This native execution can be roughly 100 times faster than conventional instruction set simulators, all while staying compatible with existing development workflows and tools. The big takeaway? Developers can perform system-level validation earlier and more often, drastically reducing reliance on HiL rigs. By aligning cloud-based development environments with vehicle hardware—say through Arm-native cloud instances like AWS Graviton—software teams can simplify their toolchains, establishing more reliable CI/CD pipelines and embracing DevOps practices.

A key part of this evolution is the SOAFEE (Scalable Open Architecture for Embedded Edge) framework, led by Arm along with its partners. SOAFEE emphasizes modularity and orchestrates software workloads for intelligent vehicle systems, promoting interoperability among OEMs, suppliers, and tech providers while helping reduce vendor lock-in. Recently, at Embedded World 2025, Synopsys and Arm showcased how integrating virtual prototypes with the SOAFEE architecture makes it possible to execute complex autonomous driving workloads in real-time within AWS cloud environments—accelerating validation by an order of magnitude compared to emulators, and providing more realistic testing for edge software.

Beyond the technical wins, these virtual prototypes bring significant business benefits. By detaching software development from the constraints of hardware timelines, they help cut capital and operational costs connected to traditional HiL setups. Distributed teams can work together and validate code simultaneously, reducing the risks of delays tied to hardware delivery. Plus, native cloud execution minimizes errors caused by architectural mismatches late in the development process, speeding up feature deployment and boosting overall productivity.

Alongside these software advances, the broader automotive industry is leveraging virtual verification and validation tools to handle the added challenges of electrification and increasingly complex software stacks. Companies like Siemens are championing digital twins supported by AI and machine learning to predict product performance early on—speeding up iterations and lowering the chance of mistakes. Their Accelerated Product Development suite emphasizes virtual prototyping for smarter simulation, system integration, and compliance with regulatory standards, all of which help streamline development workflows without depending on physical prototypes.

Meanwhile, collaborations are pushing the boundaries further with high-fidelity simulations of entire vehicles. Hexagon and VI-grade, for example, blend multibody dynamics simulation software with high-end driving simulators to mimic real-world handling, ride comfort, and durability—all without building actual cars. This approach makes it more efficient to develop driver experiences aligned with safety priorities.

Furthermore, integrating mechanical, electrical, and software design into shared virtual environments—known as CVDEs—greatly accelerates EV development. These platforms enable real-time, multi-disciplinary teamwork, letting all stakeholders work together seamlessly on digital twins designed to simulate, analyze, and optimize entire vehicle systems. This integrated approach tackles many traditional bottlenecks in automotive development.

To sum up, the entire automotive supply chain—from OEMs to suppliers, logistics firms, garages, and workshops—is experiencing a fundamental shift. The combination of cloud-native software development, realistic virtual prototypes, standardized frameworks like SOAFEE, and cutting-edge virtual validation tools is making product development faster, more reliable, and open to continuous feature updates. These innovations are critical for meeting rising consumer expectations, all while adhering to safety and regulatory standards in a vehicle landscape that’s becoming increasingly driven by software.


References
- [1]
- [2]
- [3]
- [4]
- [5]
- [6]
- [7]

Source: Noah Wire Services