Mercedes-Benz targets 17-month cut in development time with AI platform

Mercedes-Benz says a new AI-based product lifecycle management system will cut new vehicle development time by around 17 months and make development up to 30% faster.

The system, called PLM.AI, links development, procurement, production, sales and after-sales data on one platform. Mercedes-Benz is spending around half a billion euros on it.

The company already uses AI agents for tasks such as optimising material costs, certification and homologation, fault detection and software development, but mostly within individual process steps. PLM.AI uses standardised data models to connect those applications across the development process.

Mercedes-Benz expects efficiency gains of up to 50% in some engineering processes, and says AI-powered simulation could eventually halve the amount of physical testing.

“With PLM.AI, we are creating the digital backbone for the future of product development at Mercedes-Benz and bringing new technologies to series maturity up to 30% faster,” says Jörg Burzer, Mercedes-Benz Group board member and chief technology officer for development and procurement.

“Our high standards for quality and safety remain unchanged.”

The company gives weight reduction as an example. A change to one component can affect cost, crash performance, hardware and software functions and production. AI agents will assess those effects at the same time, giving engineering teams a full picture sooner. Mercedes-Benz says product decisions will stay with its teams.

It also expects benefits in after-sales from linking product, service and operating data.

Two technology partners

CONTACT Software provides the core PLM layer through its CONTACT Elements platform. Siemens, a long-standing Mercedes-Benz supplier, provides AI-enabled design, simulation and digital validation tools for the digital twin.

Mercedes-Benz is leading the programme and setting the architecture, data models and governance. It says it will keep full ownership and control of its data and the AI models built on it.

PLM.AI will be used across all of its vehicle programmes.