This Tech Xplore article covers the development of the software family CDTire (including the variant CDTire3D) by Fraunhofer ITWM, designed to bring tire simulation into vehicle-level modeling with high fidelity, yet manageable computational cost. Tires present a unique simulation challenge: they undergo rapid non-linear deformation, heat-induced property changes and complex interaction with road surfaces, making them difficult to integrate into full-vehicle simulation.
CDTire addresses this by offering a family of models that trade off between detail and speed. Developers can select simplified models for early-stage vehicle simulation or high-fidelity versions for detailed tire behavior, including carcass dynamics, sidewalls, tread, internal air dynamics, wear and even rim interaction. The newer CDTire3D model integrates multi-physics: internal air behavior, heat generation, wear prediction, and a flexible rim model, all of which can impact ride comfort, structural durability, and rolling resistance.
One key benefit is the integration between the tire-specialist domain and vehicle manufacturer domain: previously, detailed tire models could not be run in full-vehicle simulation due to long compute times, meaning manufacturers often relied on simplified approximations. The new tool bridges that gap, enabling OEMs to virtually test tires very early in development rather than waiting for physical prototypes.
For example, in the context of electric vehicles (EVs), the software can simulate rolling resistance under cold-start conditions and short trips (where tires underperform their lab rating) and thus help optimize range. The developers plan to spin off a company, Virtual Tire Technologies (VTT), in 2026 to commercialize the software.
This advancement signals that tire behavior, long a challenging domain due to complex physics, is becoming accessible for real-time digital simulation. For automotive systems engineers, simulation specialists, and mobility experts, the takeaway is that virtual tools are now reaching a level where tire dynamics, wear, and energy loss can be embedded into vehicle modeling workflows.