IPG Automotive

IPG Automotive GmbH is a German engineering software company specializing in simulation and virtual test driving technology for vehicle development. Its software and hardware products span the entire development process, from proof-of-concept through validation and release, and apply to autonomous driving, ADAS, powertrain engineering, vehicle dynamics, and control systems.

The company was founded in July 1984 by Prof. Dr.-Ing. R. Gnadler, Dr.-Ing. Andreas Riedel and Dr.-Ing. Alexander Schmidt as the "Ingenieurgemeinschaft Prof. Dr.-Ing. R. Gnadler GmbH," with ties to the former University of Karlsruhe (TH). It began developing project-specific software released and marketed as IPG-CAR from 1987. Headquartered in Karlsruhe, the company expanded with its first Munich office in 2012 and first international subsidiary in Japan in 2014. Today it has five additional German locations and eight international subsidiaries (including China, France, Japan, Korea, the USA, and India, the latter established in 2023).

IPG Automotive's flagship product is CarMaker, a platform for virtual test driving, complemented by tools such as TruckMaker for commercial vehicles and trailer configurations. In March 2023, the company presented CarMaker release 12.0 at its annual Open House Germany event, featuring a new battery model and modular powertrain architecture for hybrid and electric vehicles, alongside the VIRTO app suite for simulation data and workflow management.

By bringing real test driving into the virtual world as a complement to on-road testing, IPG Automotive positions itself as a contributor to progress in comfort, safety, economic efficiency, and environmental friendliness—making innovation in simulation and virtual testing central to its business.