Multiphysics Simulation Software for Electric Vehicle Engineering

Formula E and COMSOL have established a technical partnership to integrate advanced computer-aided engineering solutions into the development of electric motorsport vehicles. The collaboration utilizes multiphysics simulation tools to model complex physical interactions across electrical, fluid, and battery systems under extreme operational constraints.

Integration of Multiphysics in Motorsport Engineering
The development of electric race cars requires the simultaneous management of interacting physical phenomena, including thermal dissipation, fluid dynamics, and electromagnetic interference. To address these engineering constraints, Formula E integrates the COMSOL Multiphysics software into its research and development framework. The partnership provides the technology teams with the analytical infrastructure necessary to evaluate how multiple physical effects interact within the vehicle architecture, specifically targeting performance and energy management optimization for the GEN4 vehicle generation.

System-Level Simulation and Digital Twin Workflows
As the engineering partner, COMSOL supplies the simulation software required to establish physics-based modeling workflows. The deployment utilizes COMSOL Multiphysics version 2027, which incorporates capabilities for dedicated electric motor modeling and system-level simulation. The engineering teams focus on deploying simulation apps and digital twin solutions to expand data accessibility across the development process. Dan Cherowbrier, CTO at Formula E, indicates that the engineering teams prioritize deploying "AI-assisted modeling, agentic workflows, and digital twins" to "interact with models, explore designs, and make simulation insight more accessible" during the vehicle design phases.




Simulation Accuracy and Process Scalability
The application of these computational tools allows engineers to calculate and visualize real-world physical interactions prior to physical prototyping. Bjorn Sjodin, SVP of Product Management at COMSOL, notes that multiphysics simulation is essential because "multiple phenomena are at play and constantly interact with one another." The integration of digital twins and agentic modeling within the latest software iteration provides a validated framework to test energy management efficiency and structural integrity, establishing standard simulation protocols for future automotive development cycles.

Edited by Maria Brueva, Induportals editor – adapted by AI.

www.comsol.com