Testing Made Smarter: Nissan Technical Centre Europe and Sonatus Deliver Cutting-Edge AI Tools to Accelerate Vehicle Development

• Nissan Technical Centre Europe (NTCE) and Sonatus enter development partnership to integrate AI tools to transform vehicle testing programme
• Harvesting onboard vehicle data, AI tools can reduce reliance on physical test vehicles and reduction in investigation times down to two days
• AI tools will form part of overall testing process for future models like JUKE.

CRANFIELD, England & SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nissan Technical Centre Europe (NTCE) and US-based vehicle software innovator Sonatus have announced a development partnership to accelerate the vehicle development process. By integrating advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, the collaboration aims to deliver faster, smarter, and more efficient engineering workflows for Nissan’s future lineup.

Using a bespoke vehicle data collection tool, engineers from NTCE in Cranfield, UK, will use Sonatus’ Collector AI and Sonatus AI Technician to analyse real-time and historical vehicle data. Harvesting information from sensors, electronic control units (ECUs), and onboard diagnostics tools, the AI tool will automatically detect irregularities, potential failures, and operational inefficiencies. Using this model, engineers can provide actionable insights and timely alerts to speed up decision making.

While the tool is still under development, early trials at NTCE indicate significant improvements in troubleshooting efficiency, reducing reliance on physical test vehicles and cutting investigation time from two weeks to just two days. This milestone supports Nissan’s global recovery plan, RE:Nissan, which emphasises innovation through a digital-first approach, leveraging simulation, advanced testing, and smart data to reduce overall development time.

Commenting on the announcement, David Moss, Senior Vice President, Research and Development, Nissan Africa, Middle East, India, Europe and Oceania (AMIEO) said: “Our collaboration with Sonatus is a clear demonstration of Nissan’s commitment to innovation and adaptability.

“The role of AI is clear, to act as a tool for our engineers and not a direct replacement. Using their years of expertise and the AI tool, our engineers will be able to investigate and act quickly on ensuring our products and technologies are ready for customers sooner with zero compromise on quality. Working together will allow us to deliver an enhanced customer experience and maintain competitiveness in a rapidly evolving market.”

AI tools will become a cornerstone of Nissan’s testing program. Working with Sonatus and other providers, smart testing programmes will be adopted to the development of future models, including the all-new Nissan LEAF and JUKE.

“Our collaboration with NTCE reflects a shared commitment to an AI-driven future,” said Alexandre Corjon, Senior Vice President and Technical Fellow for Sonatus.

“By enabling smarter data collection and accelerating digital development workflows, Sonatus is enabling teams to deliver complex systems with greater speed and precision. NTCE is demonstrating how forward-thinking engineering can redefine vehicle development and set a new benchmark for automotive innovation.”

NTCE and Sonatus will showcase live demonstrations of intelligent data collection and AI-driven diagnostics at CES 2026 (Las Vegas Convention Center, January 6–9, West Hall Booth #5439).

About Nissan AMIEO (Africa, Middle East, India, Europe & Oceania)

Nissan AMIEO comprises Africa, Middle East, India, Europe and Oceania markets. This vast and diverse region employs more than 13,000 people and covers 140 markets with a population of around 3.8 billion. The AMIEO region also boasts an extensive vehicle offering, ranging from the iconic Nissan Patrol SUV to the fully electric crossover, Nissan Ariya.

Sustainability is at the core of Nissan's long-term vision, Ambition 2030, which sets out to deliver electrified models and technological innovation in key markets globally and support Nissan's goal to be carbon neutral across the life cycle of its products and operations by 2050.

For more information about Nissan's products, services and commitment to sustainable mobility, visit nissan-global.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, X and LinkedIn and see all our latest videos on YouTube.

About Sonatus:

Sonatus is a leading technology provider for intelligence-driven software-defined vehicles that are scalable and upgradable. Our AI solutions and software-defined technologies empower OEMs and suppliers to reduce costs, speed time to market, and deliver uncompromising quality. Founded in 2018, Sonatus is privately held, backed by leading investors spanning the automotive, semiconductor, and venture capital sectors, and its technology is in more than 6 million production vehicles from leading global automakers. Sonatus is headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif. (Silicon Valley), with regional headquarters in Dublin, and offices in Bangalore, Detroit, Frankfurt, Kraków, Paris, Pune, Seoul, Shanghai, Taipei, and Tokyo. For more information, visit www.sonatus.com.