Road Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) optimised user-centric solutions for energy efficiency design and consistent range throughout weather conditions (2ZERO Partnership)

The grant opportunity HORIZON-CL5-2025-04-D5-05 is part of Horizon Europe and focuses on optimizing Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) technology under the 2ZERO Partnership. The primary objective is to develop user-centric solutions that enhance energy efficiency and ensure consistent driving range across various weather conditions.

Eligible applicants for this grant include startups, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), large enterprises, universities, research institutes, and public-private partnerships. The funding type is identified as a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant, a financial mechanism used within Horizon Europe to support research and innovation.

A consortium is required for this opportunity, reflecting the collaborative nature emphasized by Horizon Europe’s Innovation Actions. Geographic eligibility includes EU member states, EEA countries, and associated countries, allowing for a wide participation range.

The target sectors for the grant are transport, specifically focusing on battery electric vehicles, energy efficiency, climate action, and advanced materials related to battery technology. Although no specific countries are mentioned, the eligibility is EU-wide due to its integration within the Horizon Europe structure.

The relevant project stage corresponds to the development through to demonstration phases, specifically within Technology Readiness Levels 6-8, indicating that projects should deliver validated user-centric solutions ready for real-world application.

The anticipated funding amount for this call is estimated to be between €1M and €5M, following the trend seen in similar Horizon Europe projects. The application process is a single-stage open call, with a submission deadline set for September 4, 2025.

Success rates typical of Horizon Europe are generally around 10-39%, although this specific call does not provide exact figures for its success rates. Co-funding is generally not required for lump-sum grants, simplifying the financial backing for participants.

The grant aims to enhance energy management solutions for light-duty and light commercial vehicles, aiming for a reduction of user-specific vehicle range loss in extreme conditions by at least 30% while maintaining cost-effective solutions. Proposals will need to explore user requirements for thermal comfort, establish a comprehensive approach for energy efficiency, and innovate energy management techniques leveraging smart city connectivity.

Projects must align with Open Science practices and adhere to the FAIR principles for data management. Deliverables will need to include demonstrated prototypes meeting automotive standards, and all results are required to report to the European Partnership on ‘Towards zero emission road transport’ (2ZERO).

Overall, the call is a significant opportunity for research and innovation in electric vehicle technology, particularly in enhancing performance and sustainability amid extreme weather conditions. The overarching goal is to promote the adoption of battery electric vehicles, contributing to the EU's objectives for zero-emission road transport.

This is a Horizon Europe call, specifically HORIZON-CL5-2025-04-D5-05, focusing on Road Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) optimised user-centric solutions for energy efficiency design and consistent range throughout weather conditions, as part of the 2ZERO Partnership. It is a Horizon Innovation Action (HORIZON-IA) with a single-stage submission process. The call opens on 06 May 2025 and closes on 04 September 2025 at 17:00:00 Brussels time. The total budget for the topic is 12,000,000 EUR, and it is expected that around 2 grants will be awarded, with each contribution being around 6,000,000 EUR.

The expected outcomes of the projects should include: a validated set of user requirements and usage acceptance limits for different vehicle user groups under various weather conditions; innovative and affordable energy management solutions for Light Duty Vehicles (LDV) and Light Commercial Vehicles (LCV) demonstrated with a prototypical system; reduction of user and use case specific vehicle range loss at extreme ambient conditions to user acceptance limits by at least 30% without increasing system cost; and optimal energy management including integration of future smart cities standards resulting in a 10% improvement of energy demand for the thermal system and the powertrain.

The scope of the projects should focus on preserving the benefits of right-sized batteries in road BEVs, reducing the impact of extreme weather conditions on driving range, and finding solutions that balance user needs, technical effort, and vehicle affordability. User research is required to set relevant goals and criteria for innovation in thermal management systems and technologies. Automotive standards should be met, and solutions should be user-centric and intelligent, based on an overall vehicle system approach.

Proposals are expected to address the following aspects: analyse user requirements to identify personalised thresholds of thermal comfort; establish a holistic approach to optimising energy efficiency and relevant thermal functions; explore and exploit the potential that connection to the grid offers; develop innovative, safe, and intelligent solutions that reduce the loss of range within acceptable limits; develop innovative vehicle energy management solutions for seldom extreme weather conditions using predictive energy management; and integrate all developed solutions and concepts in a prototype or mock-up vehicle and demonstrate them on a system level in a relevant environment.

The projects should take into account Open Science practices and enact project results in line with FAIR principles for data. The projects will be expected to report on the results to the European Partnership ‘Towards zero emission road transport’ (2ZERO) in support of the monitoring of its KPIs.

The general conditions include: admissibility conditions related to proposal page limits and layout; eligible countries as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes; other eligible conditions related to restrictions for the protection of European communication networks; financial and operational capacity and exclusion; evaluation and award criteria, scoring and thresholds; submission and evaluation processes; indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement; and legal and financial set-up of the grants. Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum.

The application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA) include: application form templates available in the Submission System; standard application form (HE RIA, IA); evaluation form templates; standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA); HE Programme Guide; Lump Sum MGA; detailed budget table (HE LS); and guidance on lump sums.

Additional documents include: HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 1. General Introduction; HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 8. Climate, Energy and Mobility; HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 14. General Annexes; HE Programme Guide; HE Framework Programme 2021/695; HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764; EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509; Decision authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme; Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment; EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement; Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual; Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions; and Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement.

There are 7 partner search announcements available for this topic. The submission session is now available.

This Horizon Europe call focuses on improving the energy efficiency and range consistency of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) under extreme weather conditions. It aims to develop user-centric solutions that balance comfort, affordability, and performance, while also integrating with smart city standards. The call encourages projects to analyse user needs, optimise energy management, explore grid connectivity, and develop innovative energy management solutions, all demonstrated in a prototype vehicle. The ultimate goal is to reduce range loss due to climatisation needs by at least 30% without increasing system costs, thereby promoting the adoption of BEVs and contributing to zero-emission road transport.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, given that it is part of the Horizon Europe program, it is likely that eligible applicants include a range of entities such as universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, and other organizations involved in research and innovation. The presence of "Partner Search" functionality suggests that consortia are expected, implying multiple types of organizations can participate.

Funding Type: The funding type is primarily a grant, specifically a "HORIZON Lump Sum Grant" as indicated by the "Type of MGA" (Model Grant Agreement). There are also HORIZON Innovation Actions, HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions and HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions.

Consortium Requirement: The presence of a "Partner Search" function and the description of projects implementing a co-programmed European Partnership suggests that a consortium is preferred or required.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is not explicitly stated, but since it is a Horizon Europe call, it is implied that EU member states and associated countries are eligible. The text also mentions that "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," suggesting some international participation is possible.

Target Sector: The target sector is Climate, Energy and Mobility, specifically focusing on road battery electric vehicles (BEV). This includes energy management solutions, thermal management, smart cities standards, and user-centric design.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned, but the opportunity is within the Horizon Europe framework, implying eligibility for EU member states and associated countries. There is also mention of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that may have specific provisions for funding.

Project Stage: The project stage is primarily focused on innovation actions (IA) and research and innovation actions (RIA), suggesting a focus on development, validation, and demonstration. The requirement to demonstrate solutions in a "prototype or mock-up vehicle" indicates a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 5-7.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic within the call, ranging from EUR 1,600,000 to EUR 22,500,000. The indicative number of grants for each topic is also provided, allowing for an estimation of the average grant size.

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 lump sum grant.

Application Stages: The application process is single-stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned.

Co-funding Requirement: The co-funding requirement is not explicitly mentioned.

Summary: This is a Horizon Europe Cluster 5 call focused on "Road Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) optimised user-centric solutions for energy efficiency design and consistent range throughout weather conditions (2ZERO Partnership)". The call aims to improve the energy efficiency and range of electric vehicles, particularly in extreme weather conditions, by focusing on user needs and integrating smart city standards. The funding is provided as lump sum grants, and the call is open to a range of applicants from EU member states, associated countries, and potentially some non-EU countries. Projects should focus on innovation and research actions, with a goal of demonstrating solutions in prototype vehicles. The call is a single-stage submission process with a deadline of September 4, 2025. The call includes various topics with different budget allocations, ranging from coordination and support actions to innovation actions, with funding amounts varying from 1.6 million EUR to 22.5 million EUR. The call is part of the co-programmed European Partnership on ‘Towards zero emission road transport’ (2ZERO).