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 Centre, 6-9th January, West Hall Booth #5439).
