Toyota Motor Corporation Expands Use of MATLAB and Simulink to Accelerate the Challenge of "Making Ever-Better Cars"

MathWorks, the leading developer of mathematical computing software, today announced that the Toyota Motor Corporation (“Toyota”) will expand its adoption of the MATLAB^® and Simulink^® platforms and usage of Model-Based Design (MBD) within its Japan-based operations to accelerate the automaker’s plans to develop “ever-better cars" and "transform into a mobility company."  

MBD is the systematic use of models throughout the development process, which improves how automotive engineers deliver complex systems. Automotive companies use MBD to respond quickly to changes in the market environment, accelerate the speed of service delivery to customers, and achieve efficient investment and improvement in development capabilities.

"Standardizing around MATLAB and Simulink made sense because the software was already widely used within the company, and we were entering a phase in which it would be difficult to respond promptly to the rapid and diverse changes in the world," said Tatsuya Okamura, Chief Project Leader, Information Systems Group at Toyota Motor Corporation. “In addition to providing the necessary modeling and simulation functions, our company’s goals will make it essential to create an environment where various options can be utilized and trained as and when required.”

"We have worked together since 1993 to accelerate Toyota’s development processes and make them the envy of the automotive world," said Andy Grace, vice president of engineering for design automation at MathWorks. "Using MathWorks products, Toyota can eliminate manual steps, perform predictive maintenance, and create a digital thread that connects requirements and system architecture to component design and testing. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with Toyota to help them maintain their global leadership position through continuous innovation.”

Toyota was an early adopter of MBD. Most Japanese automakers subsequently adopted MBD using MathWorks products like MATLAB and Simulink for modeling and simulation. This design approach helps automakers test new ideas and perform fast and reproducible tests, reducing the development cycle and cutting development time by more than 50%. Automating critical steps like code writing and verification eliminates manual procedures and reduces human error. Toyota can also use models as digital twins for predictive maintenance, failure detection, and optimization of systems in operation.