AceAuto has released its latest version. Building on its existing end-to-end automotive product development management capabilities, it upgrades its AI capabilities, adds MCP protocol support, and for the first time opens self-service user registration and trial. The AI features in this update focus on three areas: MCP protocol and AI agents, voice timesheet entry, and digital-twin auto audits. New users can get started right after signing up, with no manual requirement gathering needed.
1) MCP Protocol and AI Agents
The new version supports the MCP protocol, so AI Agents can operate the system directly, covering three types of operations: checking progress, creating tasks, and generating reports. Checking progress includes project progress, gate status, budget execution rate, timesheet summaries, and cost details; creating tasks includes updating milestone status, initiating change requests, and submitting timesheets; generating reports includes project reports, cost analysis, and gate review dashboards. Enterprises can connect AceAuto to their existing AI workflows and drive R&D management through conversation. Companies that have already deployed internal AI assistants can use AceAuto as a callable tool node.
2) Voice Timesheet Entry
The new version supports voice timesheet entry. The system automatically recognizes the project, vehicle model, task, and hours, generates a record pending confirmation, and submits it for approval once confirmed. The system automatically matches entries using project context, task lists, and historical reporting habits, reducing manual selection.
Timesheets are cross-checked against clock-in records from DingTalk, WeCom, Feishu, or attendance machines. Cases such as reported hours exceeding attendance duration or no clock-in record for the day are automatically flagged in red and pushed to approvers for review. Once leave, business trip, or outing requests are approved, corresponding timesheet entries are generated automatically to avoid duplicate entry.
3) Digital-Twin Auto Audits
The system has a built-in digital twin that automatically inspects project data, covering scenarios such as timesheet anomalies, missing gate deliverables, budget overruns, and untracked changes. When issues are found, audit records are generated automatically, pushed to the responsible person for follow-up, and the handling process is retained. Compliance checks that previously required manual item-by-item verification are now completed by the system according to preset rules, with staff only handling flagged anomalies. This mechanism, combined with attendance-timesheet cross-checking, has been recognized in the audit scenarios of multiple IPO clients.
4) Self-Service Signup and Trial, No Manual Requirement Gathering
The new version opens a self-service registration channel. Users can visit the official website to register an account — no requirement documents to submit, no waiting for sales contact, no demo appointment needed. Teams that want to validate results first can start with single-point features such as timesheet entry and gate monitoring, then expand to full cost accounting and vehicle model group management once those work well. Data is retained during the trial period and can be carried over directly to the official version.
5) R&D Expense Compliance
Automotive R&D involves large investments and strict expense aggregation requirements. AceAuto supports R&D expense compliance by verifying timesheet authenticity through attendance checks and locking expense attribution through approval flows. R&D hours are aggregated daily to specific projects and vehicle models, while labor, materials, depreciation, and other expenses are automatically allocated according to preset rules. R&D expense auxiliary ledgers can be exported with one click for audit use.
6) Gate Monitoring and Full Cost Accounting Upgraded Together
Gates continue to use traffic-light alerts: green means normal, yellow means entering the warning range with incomplete deliverables, and red means overdue without passing the gate. Milestone changes or delays automatically trigger notifications, and project managers and the PMO can view the gate review dashboard in real time. Gate templates and deliverable lists are customizable.
Full cost accounting covers five dimensions: labor, travel, external payments, materials and equipment, and overhead allocation. Labor costs are automatically calculated as hours multiplied by unit price, direct expenses are automatically aggregated after approval, external payments are automatically linked to projects, materials and equipment are allocated by rules, and overhead is allocated by timesheet or headcount proportion. Five-dimension costs are compared with budgets in real time, with automatic alerts or mandatory controls triggered on overruns.
7) Vehicle Model Group Management and Ecosystem Integration
The vehicle model group feature addresses scenarios where multiple similar vehicle models share a single development platform. For three variants of the same platform — sedan, SUV, and Coupe — core platform component development is shared, while differentiated development items are managed independently. The system supports creating one master milestone template shared by multiple vehicle models, with each model able to add independent differentiated milestones and deliverables. When changes occur, common parts are synced in bulk while differentiated content is retained.
The new version continues to support integration with DingTalk, WeCom, Feishu, ERP, MES, HR attendance, OA, and systems such as SAP, Kingdee, and Yonyou. Deployment remains available in both SaaS and private modes, with SaaS ready to use out of the box.
AceAuto has served automotive industry clients such as Beijing Foton Daimler, Shanghai Huizhong, Xiongshi Technology, Tianhai Electronics, and ECARX, covering product development teams for complete vehicles, modules, and components. The new version is now fully live, and users can register for a trial directly (https://www.aceteamwork.com/products/aceauto) with no manual requirement gathering needed.