What Auto Research Center does

Auto Research Center (ARC) is a privately held LLC founded in 1998 and headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. It operates a specialized vehicle research facility that sells time in proprietary test rigs — principally a rolling road wind tunnel and a 7-post shaker rig with a dynamic tire heating system — and provides aerodynamic, vehicle dynamics, and drivetrain engineering services to motorsports teams, automotive OEMs, commercial trucking fleets, government and military programs, and bicycle manufacturers. ARC also operates the Aerodynamic Bicycle Test (ABT) facility and a full-power drivetrain test cell resolving output to 0.1 hp. The company holds approvals from the US EPA and the State of California as an official testing site for commercial vehicle aerodynamic fuel economy and SmartWay verification, and its wind tunnel is rated at +/- 0.25% accuracy versus the prior government standard of +/- 1%.

ARC's technology portfolio pairs physical testing with a digital simulation stack. Through the Streamline Solutions joint venture with ENGYS Ltd, ARC co-developed the ELEMENTS CFD software suite, an OpenFOAM-based CAE tool covering aerodynamics, underhood thermal management, HVAC, aeroacustics, and soiling/hydrodynamics, validated against 100+ physical wind tunnel models and featuring a quasi-transient adjoint solver for shape optimization. ARC additionally distributes ENGYS' HELYX CFD in North America and sells its own motorsport software products (eLap for lap-time simulation, RHA for ride handling analysis, Virtual 7-Post). Its intellectual property extends to licensable aerodynamic devices including a commercial truck wheel design delivering 0.75% better fuel economy than the best existing wheel.

ARC makes money through a mix of usage-based testing time (minimum 12-hour wind tunnel, 8-hour drivetrain bookings), professional services (fleet efficiency consultancy with documented $2,000-$10,000 per truck savings, reverse engineering, model making, rapid prototyping), one-time and perpetual software licenses (ELEMENTS, HELYX, eLap, RHA, Virtual 7-Post), and licensing/royalties on aerodynamic devices. Distribution is overwhelmingly direct sales to enterprise customers, supplemented by racing-series partnerships for the eLap product. The firm positions itself as a tier one supplier across motorsports, automotive, commercial trucking, and government/military, with a claimed worldwide customer base.

Name

Auto Research Center

Legal name

Auto Research Center, LLC

Website

https://arcindy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Auto Research Center is an Indianapolis-based private vehicle engineering firm that operates a rolling road wind tunnel, 7-post shaker rig, and drivetrain test cell to provide aerodynamic, vehicle dynamics, and fleet efficiency testing, plus ELEMENTS CFD software, to motorsports, automotive OEM, commercial trucking, government, and bicycle clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vehicle Aerodynamics Testing and CFD Software

NAICS

Industrial Machinery Manufacturing (33324), Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing (3363)

SIC

Special Industry Machinery, Nec (3559), Misc Industrial & Commercial Machinery & Equipment (3590)

akta.pro primary industry

Vehicle Diagnostics & Fault Code Scanning Services (TLAKANAA)

Keywords

• Vehicle aerodynamic testing
• Computational fluid dynamics software
• Vehicle dynamics testing
• Motorport engineering services
• Commercial fleet fuel efficiency

Headquarters

HQ city

Indianapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Wind Tunnel Testing Time: ARC sells time in its wind tunnel facility. Minimum booking of 12 hours per booking. Scale model testing provides accuracy at lower cost than full-scale vehicle testing.
2. 7-Post Testing Services: Chassis development and vehicle dynamics testing using 7-post shaker rig with dynamic tire heating system. Minimum 8 hours for drivetrain testing.
3. Fleet Efficiency Consultancy: Consultancy services for commercial fleet efficiency including aerodynamic analysis, fuel economy analysis, and consultancy analysis. Helps fleets save $2,000 to $10,000 per truck.
4. CFD Software Licensing: ELEMENTS CFD software available for purchase at an affordable price. Also offers per-run basis or integrated program pricing for CFD services. HELYX available for purchase with GUI, Core, support and documentation.
5. Software Products: Software products including eLap (static vehicle performance simulation), RHA (Ride Handling Analysis), and Virtual 7-Post available for purchase.
6. Aerodynamic Devices: Products including Radical SR-3 Rear Wing Assembly, Full Scale Pressure Taps, and Aero Wheels. ARC wheels design available for licensing.
7. Reverse Engineering Services: Project-to-project basis reverse engineering services using portable laser scanning system.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Auto Research Center operates a specialized vehicle research facility that sells time in its test rigs (rolling road wind tunnel and 7-post shaker rig) and provides vehicle aerodynamic, vehicle dynamics, and design consultancy services. The company also develops and licenses the proprietary ELEMENTS CFD software suite (built on OpenFOAM) and distributes HELYX CFD for North America, and sells aerodynamic devices including aero wheels, rear wing assemblies, and pressure taps.

Product overview

Auto Research Center offers a comprehensive portfolio of vehicle design, aerodynamic testing, and simulation products and services. The core software offerings include the ELEMENTS CFD Software Suite (proprietary CFD solution built on OpenFOAM for aerodynamics, thermal management, and hydrodynamics), eLap (trackside vehicle performance simulation for motorsport), RHA (ride handling analysis), and Virtual 7-Post (shaker rig simulation). ARC also distributes HELYX CFD software as North American distributor. Physical testing services span wind tunnel testing (rolling road wind tunnel with +/- 0.25% accuracy), 7-post shaker rig testing with dynamic tire heating, drivetrain testing, and aerodynamic bicycle testing. The company also manufactures aero devices including the Radical SR-3 Rear Wing Assembly, Full Scale Pressure Taps, and proprietary Aero Wheels (available for licensing). Supporting services include fleet efficiency consulting, reverse engineering, model making, and rapid prototyping. A Fleet Savings Calculator tool helps commercial fleets quantify fuel economy improvements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ELEMENTS CFD Software Suite: CFD software CAE suite built for motorsports and the transportation industry, created by Streamline Solutions (joint venture between ARC and ENGYS Ltd.). Offers unprecedented advantages for motorsports, production cars, commercial trucking and bicycle analysis.
• Aerodynamic Bike Testing Facility (ABT)

Products and services

• Wind Tunnel Testing Rolling road wind tunnel testing services supporting up to 50% scale models. Provides controlled environment with high accuracy (+/- 0.25% compared to +/- 1% for previous government methods) for aerodynamic testing of motorsports, automotive, commercial vehicle, and government/military applications.
• ELEMENTS CFD Software Suite CFD software CAE suite built for motorsports and transportation industry, created by Streamline Solutions (joint venture between ARC and ENGYS Ltd.), powered by custom code based on OpenFOAM library. Covers aerodynamics, underhood thermal management, HVAC and cabin comfort, aeroacustics, and soiling/hydrodynamics applications. Validated on over 100 models using physical data from ARC rolling road wind tunnel.
• HELYX CFD Software Suite Comprehensive commercial quality general purpose CFD tool developed by ENGYS Ltd. and distributed by ARC in North America. Includes HELYX-GUI for meshing and case setup, and HELYX-Core based on OpenFOAM with enhanced capabilities. Available for perpetual license purchase including support and documentation.
• eLap Static vehicle performance simulation software for high performance and motorsport use. Allows users to load track profiles, enter vehicle dynamics information, and optimize suspension and aerodynamic setup to lower lap times. Features flexible workspace for different vehicle types. Used by IndyCar, USAC, F3, and Australian Tour Cars racing series.
• RHA (Ride Handling Analysis) Analysis software developed to complement 7-post testing, providing easier method for analyzing test results. Can be easily customized for different types of data analysis.
• Virtual 7-Post Software that simulates each of the shaker rig posts to simulate road loading and aerodynamic loading conditions. Offers capabilities for all levels from tuners to OEMs and professional race teams.
• 7-Post Shaker Rig Testing Vehicle dynamics testing using all seven posts to simulate aerodynamic and inertial loads as well as road loading. Features proprietary dynamic tire heating system for real-world accuracy. Can use four or seven posts depending on simulation needs. Minimum 8 hours per booking for drivetrain testing.
• Drivetrain Testing Full power driveline testing facility resolving horsepower to 0.1 hp. Allows components to be tested under actual road loading conditions with power output measured at hubs.
• Aerodynamic Bike Test Facility (ABT) Commercial bicycle testing facility providing six component balance resolution accurate to 0.25 Watts. Tests bikes with or without riders, yaw capability +/- 30 degrees, normal test speed 30mph (maximum 40mph), and ANT+ compatible data recording.
• CFD Analysis Services Full CFD services including external aerodynamics, internal ducting HVAC, thermal analysis, and hydrodynamics analysis. Offers individual runs over CPU hours or rental of cores from in-house computing power.
• Reverse Engineering Digital modeling service from physical parts using portable laser scanning system. Capable of scanning suspension pickup brackets or entire vehicles on a project-to-project basis.
• Model Making Scale model development service for rolling road wind tunnel testing. Elite craftsmen produce prototype parts or complete models from verbal descriptions or engineering drawings with demanding schedules and accuracy standards.
• Fleet Efficiency Services Comprehensive fleet analysis including consultancy analysis (visiting fleets to review tractor/trailer combinations), fuel economy analysis, and aerodynamic analysis using scale model wind tunnel testing and CFD. Has helped commercial fleets save $2,000 to $10,000 per truck in operating costs.
• Radical SR-3 Rear Wing Assembly Efficient rear wing assembly for Radical SR-3 race cars featuring fully shaped 3D wing element and large RWEP with louvers. Design optimized using CFD Adjoint solver, achieving over 5% better efficiency than stock wing and endplates.
• Full Scale Pressure Taps External pressure tap design that is low profile, easy to place and secure on full-scale vehicles. Allows accurate reading of surface pressures with minimal disturbance to airflow.
• Aero Wheels Aerodynamic wheel developed for commercial vehicles, measuring 0.75% fuel economy improvement over best existing wheel and average 2% improvement over industry average wheels. Design available for licensing.
• Commercial Scale Models Range of 1/8 scale class 8 truck models including tractors (International Navistar ProStar, Volvo VNL670, Kenworth T-680) and trailers (Wabash, Hyundai, Great Dane, Stoughton, Mac) available for scale model wind tunnel testing.

Quantifiable outcome

• $2,000 to $10,000 per truck operating cost savings
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Streamline SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture between ARC and ENGYS Ltd to create and code ELEMENTS CFD software suite. ELEMENTS is a CFD software CAE suite built specifically for motorsports and transportation industry. This partnership enables ARC to offer proprietary software validated against their physical testing data.
• ENGYS LtdcoreTechnology or IntegrationPartner in Streamline Solutions joint venture for ELEMENTS CFD development. ARC is the North American distributor for HELYX CFD software developed by ENGYS Ltd. This partnership provides access to OpenFOAM-based technology with enhanced features.
• US EPAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEPA has selected ARC as an approved testing site for commercial vehicle aerodynamic fuel economy improvements as part of the SmartWay program. This regulatory approval is a significant competitive advantage.
• State of CaliforniacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState of California has approved ARC as an official testing site for commercial vehicle aerodynamic targets and SmartWay verification testing. Provides government-mandated testing capability.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Applus+ IDIADA: Applus+ IDIADA operates design, engineering, testing and homologation services for the automotive industry, including wind tunnel, vehicle dynamics, and CFD capabilities. It is the most direct global competitor to ARC's full-stack vehicle design and aerodynamic testing offering.
• HORIBA MIRA: HORIBA MIRA provides vehicle engineering, test and certification services including aerodynamic and vehicle dynamics testing for automotive, defense, and commercial vehicle customers. Comparable in serving tier-one OEMs and government/defense programs with physical and simulation services.
• Williams Advanced Engineering: Williams Advanced Engineering provides motorsport-derived aerodynamics, vehicle dynamics, simulation and testing services to automotive, motorsport, and defense customers. Direct overlap in motorsports-grade aerodynamic and CFD service delivery.
• Sauber Aerodynamics / Sauber Engineering: Sauber Engineering offers CFD, aerodynamic and vehicle development services drawn from its Formula 1 program. Closely comparable in delivering motorsport-grade aero and CFD capabilities to external customers in automotive and transportation.

Broad incumbents

• AVL List GmbH: AVL is a global mobility technology company offering powertrain, vehicle integration and testing services including CFD and CAE tools. Larger and broader than ARC, but addresses the same tier-one OEM customer base with development, testing, and simulation services.
• Ricardo plc: Ricardo is a global engineering consultancy offering vehicle propulsion, driveline testing and aerodynamic development services. Serves automotive OEMs and commercial vehicle fleets with a similar mix of physical testing and engineering consulting.

Regional players

• FKFS (Research Institute for Automotive Engineering and Vehicle Engines): FKFS is a Stuttgart-based automotive research institute operating wind tunnel, vehicle dynamics, and powertrain test facilities for European OEMs. Comparable facility-based testing services but with primary focus on the European market.
• UTAC CERAM: UTAC is a French vehicle testing, certification and homologation group serving European OEMs and regulators. Comparable in regulatory/emissions testing services and tier-one OEM customer base.

Emerging players

• Ansys (Fluent / Fluent for Motorsports): Ansys provides enterprise CFD platforms (Fluent) used heavily in motorsports and automotive aero development. Comparable to ARC's ELEMENTS CFD offering at the software-only layer, competing for CAE budget inside OEM design teams.
• Siemens Star-CCM+ / Simcenter: Siemens Simcenter (Star-CCM+) is a leading enterprise CFD platform used across automotive, motorsport and commercial vehicle aerodynamic development. Competes with ELEMENTS/HELYX for in-house CAE seats.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ARC_Indy
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/arcindyresearch
• Facebookfacebook.com/autoresearchcenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/auto-research-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Auto Research Center