Mechanical Simulation Corporation
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersAnn Arbor, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
Mechanical Simulation Corporation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Mechanical Simulation Corporation
- Legal name
- Mechanical Simulation Corporation
- Website
- https://carsim.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Mechanical Simulation Corporation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Vehicle Dynamics Simulation Software
- NAICS
- Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing (3363)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)
- akta.pro primary industry
- ADAS Compute & Control Units Manufacturing (Domain Controllers/ECUs) (IMACAMAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Suspension Systems & Components (Springs/Shocks/Struts/Air Suspension) (IMACAIAA)
Keywords
Where Mechanical Simulation Corporation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ann Arbor
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Mechanical Simulation Corporation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Software Licenses: Perpetual software licenses for CarSim, TruckSim, BikeSim, and SuspensionSim with optional maintenance and support contracts. Licenses are managed through FLEXlm license management software and require hardware host ID verification.
- Maintenance and Support Services: Annual maintenance contracts providing technical support, software updates, access to the online support center, and telephone support. Customers currently in maintenance can register for training courses.
- Student Competition Team Licenses: Special discounted licenses for university teams competing in Formula SAE, Baja SAE, and other recognized student engineering competitions.
- Academic Pricing Programs: Discounted pricing for academic researchers and universities under 'CarSim in the Classroom' program for teaching vehicle dynamics, chassis development, and controls classes.
- Engineering Services: Specialized consulting projects involving the company's simulation software for customers needing custom development or integration work.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Commercial Software Licenses - Perpetual licenses with optional annual maintenance |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Mechanical Simulation Corporation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Mechanical Simulation Corporation develops and licenses VehicleSim, a suite of high-fidelity vehicle dynamics simulation software used by automotive OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, and universities. Its four core products — CarSim, TruckSim, BikeSim, and SuspensionSim — share a common mathematical modeling engine, GUI, and visualization tools, and are sold primarily as perpetual licenses with optional maintenance contracts. The software supports faster-than-real-time desktop simulation, ADAS/autonomous vehicle scenario testing, and real-time hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) integration with third-party platforms such as Simulink, LabVIEW, and Unreal Engine.
Product overview
Mechanical Simulation Corporation offers VehicleSim, a suite of vehicle dynamics simulation software comprising four core products (CarSim, TruckSim, BikeSim, and SuspensionSim) built on a shared architecture. The products share the VS Browser GUI, VS Visualizer animation tools, and VS Solver math models, while each serves different vehicle types: CarSim for passenger cars and light trucks, TruckSim for heavy trucks and trailers, BikeSim for two-wheeled vehicles, and SuspensionSim for quasi-static suspension analysis. All products include built-in ADAS sensor simulation, co-simulation with Simulink/LabVIEW/FMI, and Unreal Engine visualization support. The portfolio is unified under the VehicleSim framework, with common tools like VS Commands scripting language, VS Scene Builder, and VehicleSim SDK enabling extensibility across all products.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- CarSim: High-fidelity simulation software for passenger vehicles, race cars, and light-duty trucks.
- TruckSim
- BikeSim
- SuspensionSim
- VS Visualizer Pro
Products and services
- CarSim High-fidelity PC-based simulation software for passenger vehicles, race cars, and light-duty trucks. Models acceleration, braking, handling, and ride over any road surface or terrain; used by automotive OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, and academic researchers for vehicle dynamics development and validation.
- TruckSim Simulation platform for heavy trucks, buses, trailers, and multi-unit combinations. Includes dual tires, asymmetric steering systems, and trailer dynamics required for medium and heavy vehicle simulation, including regulatory compliance (FMVSS 126, ECE R13H) and rollover testing.
- BikeSim Accurate simulation for motorcycles, scooters, and other two-wheeled vehicles. Supports rider assistance systems and ADAS development for motorcycles and scooters, including handling optimization and rider safety analysis.
- SuspensionSim Multibody program calculating quasi-static equilibrium conditions for suspensions in cars, trucks, and motorcycles. Shares the VehicleSim architecture, GUI, database, and visualization tools with other products in the portfolio.
- VS Visualizer Pro High-reality animator and visualization product for VehicleSim simulations. Generates animated videos and synchronized plots of vehicle dynamics results for review, sharing, and presentation of simulation outputs.
- VehicleSim SDK Software development kit providing programmatic API access to VehicleSim products for integration with external tools, third-party tire models, advanced damper models, detailed aero maps, and alternative engines and transmissions. Supports MATLAB and other external software for advanced analysis and optimization.
- Engineering Services Specialized consulting and engineering project support for customers who need custom development, custom integration work, or specialized projects involving VehicleSim simulation software.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over $1 billion in savings attributed by one manufacturer to adaptation of simulation tools
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Mechanical Simulation Corporation
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Mechanical Simulation Corporation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration17 records
AI capability6 records
Feature10 records
Mechanical Simulation Corporation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Applied Intuition, Inc.coreIn 2022, Mechanical Simulation became part of Applied Intuition, Inc., headquartered in Mountain View, California. Applied Intuition provides simulation and validation solutions for autonomous systems, and Mechanical Simulation's VehicleSim products complement Applied Intuition's Object Sim for advanced prediction, planning, and controls simulation.
- MathWorks (Simulink)coreCarSim, TruckSim, and BikeSim integrate with Simulink for co-simulation. The products support FMI/FMU standards and include built-in examples for MATLAB/Simulink integration, allowing users to connect VehicleSim models with MATLAB optimization and DoE toolboxes.
- National Instruments (LabVIEW)coreVehicleSim products support integration with LabVIEW and NI-RT systems including NI-RT LabVIEW ETS and NI-RT Veristand ETS for real-time testing applications.
- Epic Games (Unreal Engine)coreVehicleSim Dynamics Plugin for Unreal Engine enables running CarSim, TruckSim, and BikeSim from the Unreal Engine environment with realistic 3D visualization. The plugin is available from the Users section of carsim.com and the Unreal Marketplace.
- dSPACE (SCALEXIO)coreVehicleSim products include test examples for dSPACE systems and support for running CarSim solver on dSPACE SCALEXIO hardware-in-the-loop platforms.
- AnsysminorMentioned as a key market player in the autonomous vehicle simulation space alongside Siemens, Synopsys, and Aptiv, all pursuing strategic initiatives to enhance simulation capabilities.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Mechanical Simulation Corporation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Applied Intuition: MSC's parent company and broader incumbent in autonomous-system simulation (Object Sim, driving sim, validation). Comparable as the AV simulation suite that VehicleSim is now folded into, and a strategic threat to standalone VehicleSim positioning.
- MathWorks: MATLAB/Simulink is the de facto control-software environment in which VehicleSim is integrated as a co-sim partner. While a partner, it is also a broader incumbent in vehicle-systems simulation that can encroach on VehicleSim workflows.
- Siemens (Simcenter): Multiphysics CAE suite (Simcenter Amesim, Star-CCM+) used widely in automotive chassis, powertrain, and ADAS workflows. A broader incumbent that competes with VehicleSim for OEM CAE budget across vehicle dynamics and systems simulation.
- AVL: Vehicle development and simulation supplier providing dynamics, powertrain, and ADAS/AV tools. Overlaps with VehicleSim on truck and passenger-car dynamics, and competes in the same OEM/Tier-1 validation and homologation workflows.
- Ansys: Multiphysics simulation platform explicitly named in MSC's competitive context alongside Siemens and Synopsys. Targets the same OEM/Tier-1 CAE budget with broader structural, thermal, and electronics co-simulation capabilities.
Direct peers
- rFpro: Vehicle dynamics and driving-simulation software used by F1 teams and OEMs for track and AV scenario simulation. Competes with VehicleSim on high-fidelity, physics-based dynamics plus photorealistic rendering.
- VI-grade: Provider of static and dynamic driving simulators (DiM, COMPACT) used across OEMs. Directly comparable because VI-grade uses CarSim/TruckSim as its dynamics engine and competes in the same vehicle-dynamics simulation and driving-simulator niche.
- dSPACE: Hardware-in-the-loop and SIL/MIL simulation platform (SCALEXIO, DS1006) with native co-simulation hooks into VehicleSim. Competes and complements MSC for HIL-based ADAS/AV development and validation.
- IPG Automotive: Maker of CarMaker, a high-fidelity vehicle dynamics simulation suite for passenger cars, trucks, and motorcycles. Closest direct competitor to CarSim/TruckSim/BikeSim with overlapping OEMs and HIL workflows.
Emerging players
- Foretellix: Scenario-based ADAS/AV coverage and simulation platform. Comparable because it competes for ADAS/AV validation budget that MSC is targeting through its Moving Objects and Sensors add-on, even though it does not compete on core vehicle dynamics.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Mechanical Simulation Corporation social profiles
Digital presenceMechanical Simulation Corporation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Mechanical Simulation Corporation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Mechanical Simulation Corporation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Mechanical Simulation Corporation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Mechanical Simulation Corporation
What does Mechanical Simulation Corporation do?
Mechanical Simulation Corporation develops and licenses VehicleSim, a suite of high-fidelity vehicle dynamics simulation software used by automotive OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, and universities. Its four core products — CarSim, TruckSim, BikeSim, and SuspensionSim — share a common mathematical modeling engine, GUI, and visualization tools, and are sold primarily as perpetual licenses with optional maintenance contracts. The software supports faster-than-real-time desktop simulation, ADAS/autonomous vehicle scenario testing, and real-time hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) integration with third-party platforms such as Simulink, LabVIEW, and Unreal Engine.
Is Mechanical Simulation Corporation a public or private company?
Mechanical Simulation Corporation is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Mechanical Simulation Corporation founded?
Mechanical Simulation Corporation was founded in 1996. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Mechanical Simulation Corporation based?
Mechanical Simulation Corporation is headquartered in Ann Arbor, United States, in the North America region.
How does Mechanical Simulation Corporation make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Software Licenses are the primary driver. The others are maintenance and Support Services, student Competition Team Licenses, academic Pricing Programs and engineering Services.
Who are Mechanical Simulation Corporation's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Applied Intuition, MathWorks, Siemens (Simcenter), AVL and Ansys. Direct peers are rFpro, VI-grade, dSPACE and IPG Automotive. Foretellix is listed as an emerging player.
Does Mechanical Simulation Corporation have an API?
Yes. VehicleSim SDK enables programmatic access to VehicleSim products for integration with external tools, third-party tire models, advanced damper models, detailed aero maps, and alternative engines and transmissions. Supports MATLAB and other external software for advanced analysis and optimization. Developer documentation is at www.carsim.com/products/supporting/vehiclesim/vs_api.php.
What industry is Mechanical Simulation Corporation in?
Mechanical Simulation Corporation's product category is Vehicle Dynamics Simulation Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMACAMAG, ADAS Compute & Control Units Manufacturing (Domain Controllers/ECUs), with a secondary code of IMACAIAA, Suspension Systems & Components (Springs/Shocks/Struts/Air Suspension). Its NAICS code is 3363 and its SIC code is 7373.