Siemens has unveiled a new digital twin platform aimed at speeding up the development of software-defined vehicles, as carmakers grapple with the growing complexity of integrating hardware and software across advanced systems.
The industrial technology group said its PAVE360 Automotive product is an off-the-shelf, Cloud-based digital twin designed to allow automakers and suppliers to begin full-system vehicle development from the first day of a programme. Siemens claims this can cut setup times from months to days, potentially accelerating the rollout of advanced driver-assistance systems, autonomous driving functions, and in-vehicle infotainment.
The launch comes as vehicle manufacturers face intensifying pressure to shorten development cycles while managing increasingly interdependent systems. Traditional development methods struggle to cope with the scale and interaction of modern automotive software stacks, particularly as vehicles become more software-driven.
Tony Hemmelgarn, President and Chief Executive Officer of Siemens Digital Industries Software, said the industry was moving beyond incremental innovation. He added that the company’s digital twin technology was intended to support a more holistic approach to product development, enabling carmakers to innovate “with confidence, agility, and scale”.
PAVE360 Automotive provides a pre-integrated, system-level digital twin that mirrors real vehicle hardware, allowing both application-level and low-level software to be developed and tested in a virtual environment. By removing the need for customers to build bespoke digital twins before testing, Siemens says it can significantly shorten time to market for critical vehicle software.
A key element of the platform is its integration with automotive computing technology from Arm. Siemens said deeper support for Arm’s Zena Compute Subsystem would allow developers to begin building and validating software earlier in the design cycle. The company estimates that access to such hardware-level digital twins could accelerate software development by up to two years.
Suraj Gajendra, Vice President of Products and Solutions at Arm’s Physical AI Business Unit, said tighter integration between silicon platforms and digital twins would help automakers and chipmakers manage rising complexity without slowing innovation.
PAVE360 Automotive is built on Siemens’ Innexis software environment and is currently available to selected customers. The company plans general availability in February 2026 and will demonstrate the technology publicly at CES 2026, which runs from 6th to 9th January in Las Vegas. Roland Busch, President and Chief Executive Officer of Siemens AG, is scheduled to deliver a keynote at the event.
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