AI DESIGN
The next car race is about speed before launch
Car design may look futuristic, but most new vehicles still begin as simple sketches.
Those ideas are refined, turned into 3D models, and sometimes sculpted in clay. The full process can take around five years.
That long timeline is now under pressure.
Cars launching today were often first designed in 2020 or 2021, when EV demand and incentives looked very different.
Since then, policy changes, tariffs, and shifting demand have forced carmakers to rethink their plans.
AI is now being used to speed things up.
At General Motors, designers are using tools like Vizcom to turn hand-drawn sketches into 3D models and animations in hours, rather than months.
These are used as internal visual guides, with human designers still making the final calls.
Here’s what you should know:
AI is helping turn sketches into 3D models much faster
Engineers can test designs earlier in the process
Faster workflows could reshape how car teams are staffed
Code under the bonnet
AI is also helping engineers test how air moves around a vehicle.
Jaguar Land Rover says some aerodynamics tasks that once took four hours can now be done in about a minute.
GM is building a similar “virtual wind tunnel” to give designers faster feedback.
Nissan is also using AI to automate repetitive software tasks, such as unit testing, as cars become more reliant on code.
Carmakers say AI is meant to support workers, not replace them.
But some experts believe faster workflows could still affect hiring, especially in design roles.
The goal is simple: build cars faster. Nissan is aiming to cut development time to 30 months, around half the usual timeline.
AI is helping carmakers move faster, which is bold from an industry that still makes us wait six months for a replacement part. - MG