Strategies, tools and concepts for optimised road Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) long-haul logistics use cases (2ZERO Partnership)

Opened

Programme Category

EU Competitive Programmes

Programme Name

Horizon Europe (2021-2027)

Programme Description

Horizon Europe is the European Union (EU) funding programme for the period 2021 – 2027, which targets the sectors of research and innovation. The programme’s budget is around € 95.5 billion, of which € 5.4 billion is from NextGenerationEU to stimulate recovery and strengthen the EU’s resilience in the future, and € 4.5 billion is additional aid.

Programme Details

Identifier Code

HORIZON-CL5-2025-04-D5-06

Call

Strategies, tools and concepts for optimised road Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) long-haul logistics use cases (2ZERO Partnership)

Summary

It is expected that by 2030 there will be around half a million HD-BEVs on European roads.

However, the current market application of these vehicles is largely limited to transport operations with limited range and significant repeatability.

To expand their use, various strategies and applications for scalability need to be explored and validated based on real-world data from logistics operators.

Detailed Call Description

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;

Call Total Budget

€5.00 million

Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan

70%

Expected EU contribution per project: €5.00 million

Thematic Categories

  • Energy
  • Environment and Climate Change
  • Other Thematic Category
  • Research, Technological Development and Innovation
  • Transport

Eligibility for Participation

  • Businesses
  • Central Government
  • Educational Institutions
  • Legal Entities
  • Natual person / Citizen / Individual
  • Other Beneficiaries
  • Private Bodies
  • Researchers/Research Centers/Institutions
  • Services Providers
  • Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
  • Training Centres

Eligibility For Participation Notes

The following exceptions apply: subject to restrictions for the protection of European communication networks.

A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects.

Call Opening Date

06/05/2025

Call Closing Date

04/09/2025

National Contact Point(s)

Research and Innovation Foundation
Address:
 29a Andrea Michalakopoulou, 1075 Nicosia, P.B. 23422, 1683 Nicosia
Telephone: +357 22205000
Fax: +357 22205001
Email: support@research.org.cy
Website: https://www.research.org.cy/en/

Persons to Contact:

Mr. Christakis Theocharous
Scientific Officer A’
Email: ctheocharous@research.org.cy

Mr. George Christou
Scientific Officer
Email: gchristou@research.org.cy