BMW Group Zero-Prototyping for Passive Safety Using Abaqus FEA

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BMW Group Zero-Prototyping for Passive Safety Using Abaqus FEA

Case study showing how BMW Group used Abaqus FEA simulation to eliminate physical prototypes for passive safety design on the 6 Series Gran Coupé.

Published

June 4, 2026

Read time

3 min read

Source

BMW Group partnered with SIMULIA to advance crash simulation by incorporating local material and connection failure mechanisms into Abaqus FEA models. This enabled accurate prediction of vehicle behavior in multiple crash scenarios, allowing the team to move directly from design to hardened production tooling. The 6 Series Gran Coupé became the first platform completed without passive safety prototypes, reducing development time and cost while meeting regulatory requirements.

Key takeaways

Local failure modeling of sheet metal and spot welds improved crash prediction accuracy by 30 percent versus global-only models.

BMW Group achieved zero-prototyping for passive safety on the 6 Series Gran Coupé platform.

Simulation results from Abaqus FEA closely matched physical crash tests on early production vehicles.

Virtual design iterations replaced soft tooling stages, shortening development cycles.

Multi-material vehicle platforms will require continued simulation enhancements for future safety standards.

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