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April 1, 2026

ACES® 5.0 and PIES® 8.0 Are Here: What’s New and What It Means for Your Business

We’re excited to announce the launch of ACES® 5.0 and PIES® 8.0, along with updated supporting reference database schemas. These releases follow a comprehensive, yearlong industry review and reflect direct input from across the aftermarket ecosystem. Updated schemas in this release also include:

  • VCdb 2.0
  • Qdb 2.0
  • PCdb 2.0
  • PAdb 5.0
  • Brand Table 2.0

Together, these enhancements are designed to improve data accuracy, streamline communication and better support the evolving needs of the industry.

What’s New in ACES® 5.0 and PIES® 8.0

The newest releases introduce expanded capabilities that give organizations greater flexibility and control over their data.

ACES® 5.0 introduces the ability to communicate:

  • Vehicle/PartNumber specific non diagram digital assets in the App Segment
  • Multiple asset descriptions for a digital asset in the DigitalAsset Segment
  • Multiple languages for the MfrLabel field in the App Segment

PIES® 8.0 introduces the ability to communicate:

  • Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) packaging information in the Package Segment
  • Multiple packages for a single item pack level in the Package Segment
  • Digital asset file hashing in the Digital Asset Segments
  • Digital asset record sequencing in the Digital Asset Segments

Access ACES® 5.0 & PIES® 8.0 Documentation here.

What This Means for Your Business

For companies across the aftermarket, these updates go beyond incremental improvements—they unlock more efficient, scalable ways to manage and exchange data.

With ACES® 5.0 and PIES® 8.0, your organization can:

  • Improve data accuracy and consistency across systems
  • Reduce manual work and friction in the supply chain
  • Better manage and distribute digital assets
  • Support global operations with enhanced language capabilities
  • Stay aligned with evolving regulatory and packaging requirements
Ultimately, these updates help you work smarter, move faster and position your business for long-term growth.

About ACES® and PIES®

ACES® and PIES® remain the backbone of standardized data exchange in the automotive aftermarket, supporting manufacturers, distributors, retailers, e-commerce platforms and solution providers across multiple sectors.

With these latest updates, the industry continues to move toward a more connected, efficient and data-driven future. By adopting the newest versions, organizations not only improve their own operations—they also contribute to stronger alignment and collaboration across the entire aftermarket ecosystem.

How to Access ACES® 5.0 and PIES® 8.0

The new standards and updated schemas are now available.

To get started:

  • Access full release documentation and implementation details
  • Explore how the updates apply to your business
  • Begin planning your transition to the latest versions

To learn more about ACES and PIES, please click here.

AutoCareVIP.com Catalog Assessment

Auto Care is pleased to also announce that the AutoCareVIP.com Catalog Assessment Reporting Tool now accepts ACES 5.0 and PIES 8.0 files! 


The AutoCareVIP.com Catalog Assessment Reporting Tool is a free resource designed to evaluate ACES® and PIES® XML files. Developed through industry collaboration and backed by the Auto Care Association, this tool gives ACES and PIES users valuable insights into their data—helping improve accuracy, streamline workflows, and enable performance benchmarking.

 

Try it today!

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