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Western & Barnetts Nissan is excited to share groundbreaking news from Nissan Technical Centre Europe (NTCE), as Nissan and US-based software innovator Sonatus announce a major development partnership designed to accelerate and enhance the vehicle testing process. By integrating advanced AI-driven diagnostic tools, the collaboration aims to significantly streamline engineering workflows and support faster development of future Nissan models.
The partnership brings together NTCE’s engineering expertise in Cranfield, UK, with Sonatus’ cutting-edge vehicle data technologies to create a smarter, more efficient testing ecosystem. Using a bespoke data-collection tool, engineers will harness Sonatus’ Collector AI and Sonatus AI Technician to analyse both real-time and historical vehicle data. Drawing on information from sensors, ECUs, and onboard diagnostics, the AI tools can automatically identify irregularities, potential component failures, and operational inefficiencies - helping engineers act more quickly and precisely.
Although still under development, early trials at NTCE have already demonstrated major improvements. By reducing reliance on physical test vehicles and enabling faster issue analysis, investigation times have been cut from two weeks to just two days. This leap in efficiency directly supports Nissan’s global recovery strategy, RE:Nissan, which places strong emphasis on digital-first development, simulation, and advanced testing.
Speaking on the partnership, David Moss, Senior Vice President, Research and Development, Nissan AMIEO, said:
“Our collaboration with Sonatus is a clear demonstration of Nissan’s commitment to innovation and adaptability.
“The role of AI is clear, to act as a tool for our engineers and not a direct replacement. Using their years of expertise and the AI tool, our engineers will be able to investigate and act quickly on ensuring our products and technologies are ready for customers sooner with zero compromise on quality. Working together will allow us to deliver an enhanced customer experience and maintain competitiveness in a rapidly evolving market”.
The AI tools developed through this collaboration will form a key part of Nissan’s future testing programmes, supporting upcoming models such as the next-generation Nissan JUKE and the all-new Nissan LEAF.
Alexandre Corjon, Senior Vice President and Technical Fellow for Sonatus, added:
“Our collaboration with NTCE reflects a shared commitment to an AI-driven future.
“By enabling smarter data collection and accelerating digital development workflows, Sonatus is enabling teams to deliver complex systems with greater speed and precision. NTCE is demonstrating how forward-thinking engineering can redefine vehicle development and set a new benchmark for automotive innovation.”
Nissan and Sonatus will present live demonstrations of their intelligent data-collection and AI-driven diagnostic systems at CES 2026, taking place January 6–9 at the Las Vegas Convention Center (West Hall Booth #5439). The showcase will offer an early look at how AI-supported engineering will help shape the next generation of Nissan vehicles.
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