#USA #Boston #electric vehicles #Flexcompute #NIO

Transforming Electric Mobility: Flexcompute Partners with NIO

In a landmark collaboration, Flexcompute has partnered with NIO, a forefront player in the realm of smart electric vehicles, to revolutionize aerodynamic optimization. This announcement, made at the prestigious Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) World Congress, symbolizes a significant milestone in the journey towards improving the efficiency and performance of electric vehicles (EVs).

NIO's commitment to a sustainable future, encapsulated in its mission “Blue Sky Coming,” aligns perfectly with Flexcompute’s innovative technology in computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The two companies aim to harness the power of Flexcompute’s cutting-edge Flow360 platform, which utilizes GPU-native solvers to expedite and enhance the aerodynamic design processes essential for electric vehicles.

Pioneering Advances in Aerodynamics

Aerodynamics plays a crucial role in the performance and energy efficiency of electric vehicles. By optimizing airflow and minimizing drag, NIO can significantly enhance vehicle capabilities. According to Danilo Teobaldi, NIO's Principal Chief Engineer, the Flow360 platform has proven to be a game-changer: “The CFD solver has produced consistently accurate results compared to our Wind Tunnel experiments across various vehicle types—from compact sedans to large SUVs. What used to take hours or days to solve is now done in mere minutes.”

The partnership has already validated over 60 cases, covering a plethora of vehicle types using Flexcompute's advanced simulation technology. Notably, Flow360’s accuracy is impressive, with over 94% of simulation cases deviating less than 3% from wind tunnel data—a critical metric in the automotive industry.

Speed and Cost Efficiency

In addition to its impressive accuracy, Flow360 boasts incredible speed improvements, being 10 to 100 times faster than traditional CFD methods. Simulations that used to take hours now take less than one hour on an 8L20 system and just 10 minutes on an 8 H200 system, thus streamlining the development cycles for NIO significantly. Furthermore, this advanced platform allows NIO to achieve a staggering 60% reduction in simulation costs while minimizing the need for physical prototypes—an essential factor in the fast-paced automotive market.

Merging Aerodynamics with Acoustic Modeling

Another innovative aspect of the partnership is the integration of aeroacoustics within the Flow360 platform. This technology accurately predicts wind noise, enabling engineers to design quiter and more refined EV cabins. This feature not only improves the user experience but also aligns with NIO's vision of providing top-of-the-line smart electric vehicles.

“Partnering with NIO allows us to support their ambitious vision. Our advanced GPU-native solvers in combination with our Physics AI technologies pave the way for smarter designs and faster processes,” stated Vera Yang, President and Co-Founder of Flexcompute.

This collaboration between Flexcompute and NIO is poised to set new benchmarks not only in electric vehicle performance but also in the overarching quest for sustainable mobility solutions. By merging high-fidelity simulation with insightful prediction capabilities, this partnership is not merely focusing on the present but also carving out a more sustainable future for transportation.

About Flexcompute

Originally conceived by engineers at prestigious institutions like MIT and Stanford, Flexcompute embodies innovation as its core principle. The company focuses on pushing the limits of simulation technology, aiming to make hardware innovations as seamless as software through physics intelligence.

About NIO

Founded in late 2014, NIO has rapidly established itself as a leader in the global smart electric vehicle market, committed to creating high-performance vehicles and stellar user experiences. Notably, NIO is also the first car manufacturer to be publicly listed on the NYSE, HKEX, and SGX.

In conclusion, the collaboration between Flexcompute and NIO represents a significant leap forward in EV technology, emphasizing the importance of advanced simulation methods in achieving the goals of sustainable and high-performance electric mobility.