Data-driven circular economy for e-mobility ecosystem (2ZERO Partnership)

The Horizon Europe grant opportunity, referenced as HORIZON-CL5-2027-03-D5-03, focuses on developing a data-driven circular economy for the e-mobility ecosystem. This initiative falls under the 2ZERO Partnership, aiming to support zero-emission road transport solutions. The expected opening date for applications is December 15, 2026, with a submission deadline set for April 14, 2027, at 17:00 Brussels time. The total budget for the initiative is €24 million, with individual project funding ranging from €5 million to €7 million, and it is anticipated that four grants will be awarded.

Eligible applicants include various legal entities such as universities, research institutions, small and medium-sized enterprises, and large companies engaged in electric vehicle design, production, recycling, and related digital technologies. The funding mechanism provided is a lump sum grant, which offers a predetermined financial contribution based on the proposal, facilitating ease of financial planning and reduced reporting burdens.

Projects must be pursued by a consortium, necessitating collaboration among different organizations to effectively address the technical complexities and interdisciplinary nature of the specified topics. Beneficiaries must operate within the geographic scope of EU member states and associated countries, and they are required to have the necessary financial and operational capacity as outlined in relevant annexes of the work programme.

The call specifically targets two core areas: Area A focuses on enhancing circular economy practices related to electric vehicle powertrains and infrastructure, while Area B addresses data-driven life-cycle management for electric vehicles. Key research activities include the real-life demonstration of concepts such as health monitoring for EV components, data tracking systems, digital twins, and methodologies for optimizing the circularity of materials used in EV production.

The evaluation process for proposals will occur in a single stage, including an assessment of excellence, impact, and implementation quality. Results from the evaluation are expected approximately five months post-deadline, with grant agreements anticipated by December 2027. Although specific success rates are not provided, they typically range from 10 to 39% for similar Horizon Europe projects.

No explicit co-funding requirement is stated, but applicants should check the detailed conditions. This grant represents a significant opportunity for projects aiming to innovate within the e-mobility sector by implementing sustainable practices and advancing circular economy principles, thereby addressing challenges related to the lifecycle of electric vehicle components.

This is a Horizon Europe call, specifically HORIZON-CL5-2027-03-D5-03, focusing on the data-driven circular economy for the e-mobility ecosystem, as part of the 2ZERO Partnership. It is a HORIZON Innovation Action (HORIZON-IA) with a lump sum grant type. The planned opening date is December 15, 2026, and the deadline for submission is April 14, 2027, at 17:00 Brussels time.

The call aims to minimize the environmental impact of electric vehicle (EV) drivetrains and electric vehicle charging infrastructure (EVCI), improve the repair, recovery, refurbishment, and reuse of end-of-first-life drivetrain components and EVCI, and establish data-driven life-cycle management for EVs.

The total indicative budget for the topic is EUR 24 million. The expected contribution per project is between EUR 5 million and EUR 7 million, and it is anticipated that approximately 4 grants will be awarded.

The scope is divided into two areas:

Area A) Circular economy for Electric Vehicle (EV) powertrains and infrastructure: This area focuses on improving the circularity of EV drivetrain components (excluding battery cells) and charging infrastructure. Research activities should include:
Component health monitoring for individual components on their Remaining Useful Life (RUL), including assessment of preferred circularity strategy and expected impact on EV affordability, considering wear patterns, material fatigue, and thermal stress.
Developing novel design concepts and processes to optimize material usage and extend components’ lifetime, such as design for automated dismantling, reducing dependency on critical raw materials, and enabling the use of alternatives.
Promoting broader Circular Economy (CE) adoption and increasing the potential of reuse, repair, and refurbishment by respective design criteria, means of standardization (assessment and relevant interfaces), usage of RUL monitoring, and better understanding of market potential.
Ensuring economic and environmental sustainability in the analysis of drivetrain performance and charging infrastructure, considering efficiency, package, user driving experience, CRM use, and CE.

Area B) Data-driven life-cycle management of Electric Vehicle (EV): This area focuses on utilizing vehicle-specific data to advance circularity in EVs. Research activities should include:
Development and real-life demonstration of concepts for track & trace for representative EV components, ensuring access to the minimum needed data and agreement on how this data can be accessed to enable/improve life-cycle management, while considering the costs and benefits of tracing these data points.
Development and real-life demonstration of concepts for measuring real-world operational loads (mechanical, electrical, thermal) experienced by the representative EV components, complemented by operational and environmental usage of EV that are key for life-cycle management and assessment (LCA).
Development and demonstration in real-life conditions of API-based approach to data management of use phase and End-of-Life (EoL) and open interfaces that enable new business models, allow to better quantify circularity improvements, while allowing its sharing across value chains and supply chains, in a secure and privacy-compliant way.
Concepts and solutions for product passports based on the use of digital twins, considering relevant data points, stakeholders, and existing platforms/passports, such as the battery passport, and platforms e.g. IDIS, IMDS, and Catena-X, while also considering LCA aspects.

General conditions for participation include:
Admissibility conditions related to proposal page limits and layout, as described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form.
Eligible countries as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, with specific provisions for non-EU/non-Associated Countries.
Other eligible conditions, including the use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS for projects using satellite-based data.
Financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria as described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Award criteria, scoring, and thresholds as described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes, with grants awarded to ensure a balanced portfolio across different sectors.
Submission and evaluation processes as described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.
Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement as described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Legal and financial set-up of the grants, with eligible costs taking the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021.

Additional information and support are available through the Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, Horizon Europe Programme Guide, Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, Research Enquiry Service, National Contact Points (NCPs), Enterprise Europe Network, IT Helpdesk, European IPR Helpdesk, CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk and ETSI Research Helpdesk, and Partner Search.

This funding opportunity aims to foster innovation in the circular economy of electric vehicles by addressing both the design and infrastructure aspects, as well as the data management challenges associated with the lifecycle of EVs. It seeks to promote sustainable practices, reduce reliance on critical raw materials, and create new business models that support the reuse, repair, and refurbishment of EV components. The call encourages the development of digital tools and data-sharing frameworks to enable better tracking, assessment, and management of EV components throughout their lifecycle, contributing to a more sustainable and resource-efficient e-mobility ecosystem.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, given that this is a Horizon Europe call, eligible applicants typically include universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, and other organizations capable of conducting research and innovation activities. The call is open to both to Light Duty and Heavy-Duty electric vehicles.

Funding Type: The funding type is primarily a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant, under the HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA) and HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA) and HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA).

Consortium Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. However, Horizon Europe projects typically favor consortia to ensure a broad range of expertise and impact.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The primary geographic eligibility appears to be EU member states and associated countries, as indicated by the reference to Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Horizon Europe Programme Guide. The guide mentions that non-EU/non-Associated Countries may have specific provisions for funding.

Target Sector: The program targets the e-mobility ecosystem, specifically focusing on the circular economy for electric vehicle (EV) powertrains and infrastructure, as well as data-driven life-cycle management of EVs. This includes areas such as resource efficiency, sustainability, predictive maintenance, refurbishment, recycling, digital passports, and data sharing.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are explicitly mentioned in the opportunity details. The geographic eligibility is tied to the EU and associated countries.

Project Stage: The expected maturity of the project varies depending on the specific action type. HORIZON Innovation Actions (IA) typically support activities closer to the market, such as demonstration and piloting. HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) support more fundamental research and development activities. HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) support networking and coordination.

Funding Amount: The total indicative budget for the topic is EUR 7 million for Area A and 5 million for Area B. There are also other topics with different budget amounts. The contributions for each HORIZON-IA and HORIZON-RIA and HORIZON-CSA are different.

Application Type: The application type is an open call with a single-stage submission process.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a lump sum grant.

Application Stages: The application process involves a single stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants for each topic is provided, allowing for an estimation of the success rate based on the number of expected proposals.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement. However, it is common for Horizon Europe projects to require some level of co-funding from the applicants or other sources.

Summary: This Horizon Europe call, under the MOBILITY pillar, aims to foster a data-driven circular economy for the e-mobility ecosystem. It focuses on two main areas: improving the circularity of EV powertrains and infrastructure, and enabling data-driven life-cycle management of EVs. The call seeks projects that can minimize the environmental impact of EV components, improve their repair and reuse, and develop digital tools for tracking and managing their life cycle. The funding is provided as lump sum grants, and projects are expected to contribute to the goals of the 2ZERO partnership. The call is open to a variety of organizations from EU member states and associated countries, and proposals should address specific research activities outlined in the call text, such as component health monitoring, novel design concepts, track and trace systems, and product passports based on digital twins. The call is structured as a single-stage submission process, with the submission system planned to open on December 15, 2026, and a deadline of April 14, 2027.