Large-scale demonstration of Heavy-Duty Battery Electric Vehicles (HD BEV) towards long-haul logistics operations (2ZERO Partnership)

Expected Outcome

Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:

• Increased percentage of Heavy Duty Battery Electric Vehicles (HD-BEV) tested and used in operations by the logistics and transport operators involved in the demonstrations, compared to the current fleets.
• Demonstrated efficient integration of HD-BEV in logistics fleets and operations along several European corridor segments, building further on the initial fleet developed in the large-scale demonstrations and across several types of transport operators.
• Reinforced ecosystem connecting involved parties as fleet operators, charge providers, road authorities at local, regional, national and European levels – also reinforcing the industrial HD-BEV value chain in the EU.

Scope

The implementation of zero emission vehicles for long-distance heavy-duty freight transport is of key importance to meet the European targets reducing greenhouse gas and air pollutants emissions. To further accelerate HD-BEV integration in logistic fleets and operations it is essential to identify and address the remaining barriers and challenges of their deployment. These barriers can be related to e.g. limitations in vehicle technology, digital tools, knowledge and user awareness, stakeholder engagement, energy and power availability, charging infrastructure needs such as depot charging and Megawatt Charging System (MCS), permit processes and connection to the grid and services. The challenges for logistics companies’ (also smaller operators) implementing zero emission transport solutions need to be addressed.

Proposed actions are expected to address all of the following aspects:

• Perform large-scale demonstrations of HD BEV equipped with MCS reaching up to a hundred market-ready vehicles and new generation vehicles in logistics fleets operations, involving several transport operators also engaging SMEs and microenterprises, focussing on long-haul operation (average ≥600km operations) during extended durations of over twelve months. The demonstrations must cover at least four European corridors’ segments in at least four Member States (MS) and/or Associated Countries (AC), and involved HD BEV should where possible be also equipped with MCS connector.
• Identify and address the barriers and challenges to accelerate the deployment of fleets of HD-BEV in long-distance logistics operations in Europe, considering also the impact of battery degradation and the weather conditions in all seasons.
• Develop and integrate in the demonstrations the use of digital tools with use of AI, access to data sets, operational and governance logistics models including charging opportunities and models to facilitate increasing numbers of HD-BEVs in logistics operations
• Ensure synergies with the existing publicly accessible charging infrastructure available or funded under the CEF and/or other national/regional funding schemes and assess charging methods and business models for long-haul operations such as depot, destination, truck-stops, overnight etc., using different charging power considering cost and time optimisation. Only depot charging (mono and/or multi-operator) infrastructure can be (partially) funded in demonstration projects, including related innovative business models associated such as smart, bidirectional V2X solutions and possible second life of batteries.
• Develop a competition-compliant ecosystem for sharing data for HD-BEV fleet management in so-called data labs including data pooling, which can include publication of open and FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Re-usable) data, and which could build on the common European mobility data space, also supporting the dissemination best practices, learnings and capacity building mechanisms as levers for HD-BEV acceleration. Using the shared data, new services and tools can be developed, including AI-based tools, agents and model frameworks for fleet management, both for on-board and remote monitoring.
• Define and test use cases for the use of HD-BEV fleets in long-distance logistics operations for cross-border flows, operational strategies to shift freight transport demand to zero-emission solutions, and collaborative business model(s).
• Establish synergies and leverage with previous and ongoing projects related to HD-BEV and charging systems and with related forums, platforms and programmes, such as with the European Clean Corridors Initiative, as part of the Automotive Action Plan.[1]
• Map and assess how policies and relevant legislation (including incentives) can support an affordable transition to HD-BEV. Identify and address, by providing recommendations, remaining legal and regulatory barriers encountered in the demonstrations.

An analysis of the potential economic, social and environmental benefits (notably greenhouse gas and air pollutants emissions reduction) must be included in the demonstrations.

This topic implements the co-programmed European Partnership on ‘Towards zero emission road transport’ (2ZERO). As such, projects resulting from this topic 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.

Technology Readiness Level - Technology readiness level expected from completed projects

Activities are expected to achieve TRL 8 by the end of the project – see General Annex B. Activities may start at any TRL.

[1] e.g.: Research projects - 2Zero Emission; Sustainable Transport Forum (STF) - European Commission, “European Clean Transport Corridor initiative” – Industrial Action Plan for the European automotive sector (COM(2025) 95 final).