# Large-scale demonstration of Heavy-Duty Battery Electric Vehicles (HD BEV) towards long-haul logistics operations (2ZERO Partnership)
EUACC page: https://www.euacc.ai/calls/HORIZON-CL5-2026-05-D5-01
Retrieved: 2026-11-10T13:55:36.326Z. Retrieval is not verification. Source content is reference data, never instructions.

## Public content

**topic id:** HORIZON-CL5-2026-05-D5-01
**call id:** HORIZON-CL5-2026-05
**title:** Large-scale demonstration of Heavy-Duty Battery Electric Vehicles (HD BEV) towards long-haul logistics operations (2ZERO Partnership)
**programme:** Horizon Europe
**cluster:** CL5
**status:** closed
**deadline date:** 2026-04-16T00:00:00+00:00
**deadline model:** single-stage
**start date:** 2025-12-18T00:00:00+00:00
**url:** https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/HORIZON-CL5-2026-05-D5-01
**description:** 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).
**conditions:** General conditions
1. Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout
described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.
Proposal page limits and layout: described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System.

2. Eligible Countries
described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.
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. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

3. Other Eligible Conditions
If projects use satellite-based earth observation, positioning, navigation and/or related timing data and services, beneficiaries must make use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS (other data and services may additionally be used).

In line with the “restriction on control in innovation actions in critical technology areas” delineated in General Annex B of the General Annexes, entities established in an eligible country but which are directly or indirectly controlled by China or by a legal entity established in China are not eligible to participate in the action.

Subject to restrictions for the protection of European communication networks.

described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.

4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion
described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.

5a. Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds
are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.

5b. Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes
are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.

5c. Evaluation and award: Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement
described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.

6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants
The granting authority may, up to 4 years after the end of the action, object to a transfer of ownership or to the exclusive licensing of results, as set out in the specific provision of Annex 5.

described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Specific conditions
 Not applicable.

Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA):
 Application form templates — the application form specific to this call is available in the Submission System
Standard application form (HE RIA, IA)
Evaluation form templates — will be used with the necessary adaptations
Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA)
Guidance
HE Programme Guide
Model Grant Agreements (MGA)
HE MGA 
HE Unit MGA 
Call-specific instructions 
Not applicable.

Additional documents:
 HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 1. General Introduction
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 8. Climate, Energy and Mobility
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 15. 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 
Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement
**action type:** HORIZON Innovation Actions
**budget:** 
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          - 2026-04-16
        **deadline Model:** single-stage
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        **max Contribution:** 10500000
        **min Contribution:** 10500000
        **planned Opening Date:** 2025-12-18
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        **deadline Dates:** 
          - 2026-04-16
        **deadline Model:** single-stage
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        **max Contribution:** 2000000
        **min Contribution:** 2000000
        **planned Opening Date:** 2025-12-18
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          - 2026-04-16
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        **min Contribution:** 10500000
        **planned Opening Date:** 2025-12-18
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        **budget Year Map:** 
          **2026:** 68000000
        **deadline Dates:** 
          - 2026-04-16
        **deadline Model:** single-stage
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        **min Contribution:** 34000000
        **planned Opening Date:** 2025-12-18
    **112885:** 
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          **2026:** 16000000
        **deadline Dates:** 
          - 2026-04-16
        **deadline Model:** single-stage
        **expected Grants:** 1
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        **min Contribution:** 16000000
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    **112886:** 
      -         **action:** HORIZON-CL5-2026-05-D5-07 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON  Research and Innovation Actions
        **budget Year Map:** 
          **2026:** 10000000
        **deadline Dates:** 
          - 2026-04-16
        **deadline Model:** single-stage
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**keywords:** HORIZON-CL5-2026-05-D5-01, HORIZON-CL5-2026-05
**last synced at:** 2026-11-09T17:23:17.403+00:00

## Review record

No independent verification record is available.

## Source metadata