Finding the optimal balance between the vehicle’s configuration and available charging infrastructure for different logistics use cases is key to address the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) challenge in the short and long term. This balancing will be enhanced by innovative logistics models and tools to further optimise logistics regional and long-haul operations in different regions in the EU and Associated Countries accelerating the deployment of HD BEVs for logistics.

Proposals are expected to address all the following aspects:

• Derive in-depth insights and lessons learnt from current long-haul transport missions in the EU and Associated Countries along major road arteries (e. g. the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) corridors and nodes) towards overcoming the limitations determined by vehicle range and TCO and propose cost-effective HD BEV based logistics and operational models, building on modular vehicles set up and sound charging strategies. These models should include use cases across the EU and Associated Countries focused on long-haul transport missions and be based on existing, real operations data;
• Test and validate in real demonstrations new logistic operational concepts and models allowing a scalable deployment of HD-BEV in long haul transport missions optimising the different variabilities of a shipment (range, charging time, various European regions, drivers required break/rest times etc.).
• Develop and test associated digital tools for effective, robust integration in the overall logistics operations and fleets, and facilitating interoperable cross-border services. These associated digital tools – where relevant also developed as digital twins – are to enable and support efficient optimisation of the concepts, models, solutions and operations;
• Real-life demonstrations should be based on existing fleets of operators (e.g. haulers, shippers, freight forwarders) with different categories of vehicles and missions. Demonstration should at least include 8 different types of long-haul missions in different climatic conditions, including cross-border missions, and involve several logistic companies and/or logistic users;
• Develop scenarios for optimum balance of vehicles’ performance and configuration, charging strategies and solutions. The scenarios will include information on the distance dependency as a function of vehicle combinations, location and capacity of charging stations and payload demands;
• The demonstrated concepts, models and tools should allow strategies for firm upscaling of HD-BEV implementation, taking into account the logistics operational models, the performance of complete vehicle combinations also considering the effects of on-board batteries on the ageing and energy recuperation;