Efficient wireless stationary bidirectional charging solutions for road Light Duty Vehicles (2ZERO Partnership) – Societal Readiness Pilot

The EU funding opportunity HORIZON-CL5-2025-04-D5-01 is designed to advance efficient wireless bidirectional charging solutions for light-duty electric vehicles under the Horizon Europe program. It falls under Cluster 5, specifically targeting the Climate, Energy and Mobility sectors, and is part of the 2ZERO Partnership which emphasizes zero-emission transport.

Eligible applicants include universities, research institutions, SMEs, large enterprises, and public-private partnerships focusing on clean transport and energy innovation. The funding type is a grant under the HORIZON Innovation Actions model, with a total budget of EUR 20 million, aimed at demonstrating interoperable low-power wireless charging solutions. A consortium is required for applications, with partners coming from at least three different EU member states or associated countries.

The application process is a single-stage and remains open until September 4, 2025. The project stage is centered on demonstration and validation, meaning solutions must be tested in real-world urban settings. Funding amounts are projected between 1 million and 5 million euros, with an estimated success rate of 10-39% based on competitive calls.

Co-funding is typically required for such actions, ensuring that private sector stakeholders are involved. Proposals must consider various aspects, including maximum efficiency, integration with renewable energy systems, and societal acceptance.

The projects aim for at least 90% power transfer efficiency, compliance with international safety standards, and should address the environmental impact through rigorous assessments. An emphasis is placed on engaging with Social Sciences and Humanities expertise to ensure societal needs are adequately considered.

This call aims to foster interdisciplinary collaboration, ensuring solutions are standardized, safe, visually unobtrusive, and effectively integrated into existing infrastructures. The focus on societal readiness involves understanding diverse social groups and building trust in the technology developed. Projects are expected to contribute to the establishment of standards for electric vehicle wireless charging, following Open Science and FAIR data principles.

Overall, this Horizon Europe opportunity seeks to demonstrate practical, cost-effective solutions for wireless charging of electric vehicles, supporting the transition to sustainable transportation systems while aligning with broader EU climate goals.

The EU funding opportunity HORIZON-CL5-2025-04-D5-01 focuses on Efficient wireless stationary bidirectional charging solutions for road Light Duty Vehicles (2ZERO Partnership) and is a Societal Readiness Pilot. It falls under the Horizon Europe (HORIZON) program, specifically Cluster 5 Call 04-2025 (WP 2025). It is a HORIZON Innovation Action (HORIZON-IA) with a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG] Model Grant Agreement (MGA).

The call is currently open for submission with a single-stage deadline model. The opening date was 06 May 2025, and the deadline for submission is 04 September 2025 at 17:00:00 Brussels time. The total budget for this topic is 20,000,000 EUR, and it is expected that around 2 grants will be awarded.

The expected outcomes of the projects funded under this topic include: Demonstration of bidirectional, interoperable low-power wireless (inductive) stationary charging solutions and services in operational environments for Light Duty Vehicles (M1 and N1 vehicle categories). These solutions should achieve at least 90% power transfer efficiency in both directions, with increased robustness against humidity, dirt, and all weather conditions (rain, snow, and ice). Enhanced electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) within health and safety limits, conforming to international standards such as SAE J2954, IEC 61980-1/-2/-3, CISPR 11, and ISO 19363. This includes avoiding interference with telecommunication regulations and Low Frequency (LF)-based navigation systems (e.g., eLORAN). Enhanced social acceptance of automatic park and charge functionalities, with increased comfort and a complete cost/benefit assessment at the system level for acceptable costs. Demonstration of efficient integration into the electricity grid in on-street parking (and optionally in parking lots), incorporating advanced V2X technologies to ensure seamless interaction between vehicles and energy systems. This aims to enhance the robustness and efficiency of wireless charging solutions. A deeper understanding of the needs and concerns of diverse social groups involved in or potentially affected by the R&I development, using tools like synthetic population models, to increase beneficial societal uptake and build trust in results and outcomes.

The scope of this topic emphasizes the development of charging systems, their integration into vehicles, and real-life demonstrations. It acknowledges that wireless stationary charging minimizes the intrusiveness of charging infrastructure, which is critical in urban environments, and provides a hands-free charging method beneficial for people with disabilities. The holistic system approach aims to maximize battery capacity exploitation for grid and market-oriented services through bidirectional power flow between EVs and the grid. Limited optimizations of on-board systems not directly related to wireless charging, such as the Battery Management System (BMS) and battery, may be included if justified.

Proposals should address the following aspects: Design, develop, and demonstrate cost-effective, standardized, safe, visually non-intrusive, and efficient technologies, solutions, and user-centric services for bidirectional automatic wireless charging of road Light Duty Vehicles. Investigate ways to maximize efficiency through charging plate and power electronic design and positioning, such as auto-positioning of vehicles and/or transmitters/receivers, to increase comfort and social responsiveness of parking and stationary charging. Address and avoid detrimental effects from obstacles such as garbage or dirt that might interfere with power transfer or cause damage. Ensure efficient system integration of bidirectional wireless charging infrastructures and services to support Renewable Energy Sources (RES) deployment and grid balancing, using generative AI where applicable for investment analysis. Analyze the environmental footprint of the solution using a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach, including reuse, repair, and recycling/recovery, to reduce the use of critical raw materials, and perform a Costs-and-Benefits analysis. Demonstrate solutions and services in at least three different urban areas within Horizon Europe participating countries, considering different climatic conditions, for at least three months. Exploit synergies with projects related to the Software-Defined Vehicle of the Future where applicable.

This topic is a Societal-Readiness pilot, requiring proposals to follow specific instructions to deepen consideration and responsiveness of research and innovation activities to societal needs and concerns. This includes the effective contribution of relevant Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) expertise, with SSH experts involved in the consortium to facilitate the socio-technological interface and design project objectives with Societal Readiness related activities.

Projects should contribute to existing working groups for defining standards for EV wireless charging, take into account Open Science practices, and enact project results in line with FAIR principles for data. Proposals should consider involving the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) for experimental or desk-top research on Electromagnetic Compliance and Safety. The topic implements the co-programmed European Partnership on ‘Towards zero emission road transport’ (2ZERO), requiring projects to report results to the partnership to support the monitoring of its KPIs.

The admissibility conditions include 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 are described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, with specific provisions for non-EU/non-Associated Countries outlined in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) can participate as a consortium member, subject to restrictions for the protection of European communication networks. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria are detailed in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes. Evaluation and award criteria, submission and evaluation processes, and the indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement are described in Annex D, Annex F, and the Online Manual, respectively. The legal and financial setup of the grants is described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

The application form templates are available in the Submission System, including the standard application form (HE RIA, IA) and the standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA). Guidance is provided in the HE Programme Guide, HE MGA, and HE Unit MGA. There are no call-specific instructions. Additional documents include the HE Main Work Programme 2025, the HE Programme Guide, the HE Framework Programme 2021/695, the HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764, the EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, decisions on lump sum contributions, rules for legal entity validation, the EU Grants AGA, and the Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, Terms and Conditions, and Privacy Statement.

In summary, this funding opportunity aims to advance the development and deployment of efficient, user-friendly, and socially acceptable wireless charging solutions for electric vehicles, contributing to the broader goals of zero-emission road transport and sustainable energy integration. It emphasizes bidirectional charging capabilities, standardization, safety, and the consideration of societal needs and environmental impacts. The call encourages collaboration among diverse stakeholders, including researchers, industry partners, and public authorities, to drive innovation and accelerate the transition to a cleaner and more sustainable transportation system.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated, but based on the nature of Horizon Europe calls, eligible applicants can include universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, and other legal entities capable of conducting research and innovation activities. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as a member of the consortium. 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.

Funding Type: The funding type includes HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA), HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA), and HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA). The type of Model Grant Agreement is HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG]. Therefore, the primary financial mechanism is a grant.

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity requires a consortium, as the Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as a member of the consortium selected for funding.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU and associated countries. 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. Demonstration activities must be performed in at least three different urban areas within Horizon Europe participating countries.

Target Sector: The program targets the climate, energy, and mobility sectors, specifically focusing on electric vehicle (EV) wireless charging technologies, renewable energy source (RES) deployment, and grid balancing. It also touches upon software services with the mention of Software-Defined Vehicle of the Future.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity mentions Horizon Europe participating countries, which implies EU member states and associated countries. No specific countries are named, but the demonstration must occur in at least three urban areas within these participating countries.

Project Stage: The project stage is primarily demonstration, as the call focuses on demonstrating bidirectional, interoperable low-power wireless charging solutions in operational environments. It also involves development and integration of charging systems.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic within the call, ranging from EUR 1.6 million to EUR 22.5 million. For example, HORIZON-CL5-2025-04-D5-01 has a budget of EUR 20 million, while HORIZON-CL5-2025-04-D5-18 has a budget of EUR 1.6 million.

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

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a grant.

Application Stages: The application process is a single-stage process.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants for each topic provides some insight. For instance, HORIZON-CL5-2025-04-D5-01 aims to award around 2 grants with a budget of EUR 20 million, while HORIZON-CL5-2025-04-D5-18 aims to award 1 grant with a budget of EUR 1.6 million.

Co-funding Requirement: The information does not explicitly state whether co-funding is required.

Summary:

This Horizon Europe call, under Cluster 5 (Climate, Energy and Mobility) and the 2ZERO Partnership, seeks to advance efficient wireless stationary bidirectional charging solutions for road light-duty vehicles. The call aims to demonstrate interoperable, low-power wireless charging technologies in real-world urban settings, focusing on enhanced efficiency, safety, and social acceptance. Projects should address the design, development, and demonstration of cost-effective, standardized wireless charging solutions, integrating them into electricity grids and supporting renewable energy sources. A key aspect is the societal readiness of these technologies, requiring interdisciplinary approaches and consideration of diverse social groups. The call encourages the involvement of SSH expertise and adherence to Open Science and FAIR data principles. Proposals should consider the involvement of the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) for research on Electromagnetic Compliance and Safety. The funding is provided through Horizon Innovation Actions (IA), Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA), with budgets ranging from EUR 1.6 million to EUR 22.5 million per topic. Eligible applicants include a wide range of entities from EU and associated countries, and projects must demonstrate solutions in at least three different urban areas within these countries. The application process is a single-stage open call, with a deadline of September 4, 2025. The call is a Societal-Readiness pilot.