Electrified urban commercial vehicles integration with fast charging infrastructure

Actions should address the development of vehicle drive train concepts and energy storage (battery and super-capacitor) which can deliver the required vehicle performance and are able to operate in a pure electric mode with high energy recovery capacity. This will ensure zero emissions and low noise pollution either on the whole mission or in designated low-emission zones, while permitting in the second case highly efficient, low environmental impact internal combustion engine operation without range restrictions in other areas. Such technologies can be applied to one or both of the following vehicle types:

―Electrified medium duty trucks for urban and peri-urban applications (freight delivery, refuse collection, etc.) capable of time efficient operation.

―Electrified high capacity (at least 12 m) buses for urban use, capable of following normal timetables and when needed to effectively charge and drive at bus stops with multiple bus lines.

For both above applications, where appropriate, development and integration in the vehicles, of power transfer solutions for ultrafast (< 30 seconds), superfast (< 5 minutes) and/or fast (< 30-50 minutes) wireless and contact-based electric energy transfer technologies, demonstrating how the system level efficiency and economic impacts can be achieved, including amortisation of infrastructure.

To ensure the acceptability of such systems into the market, negative effects on battery life and the grid, and measures to mitigate them should also be developed and integrated in the global system, as well as standardisation and health and safety implications.

Extension of these concepts to lighter vehicles should be taken into account wherever appropriate to enhance opportunities for exploitation.

An interaction with interested European cities to provide input on needs and implementation plans will be performed targeting market readiness by 2023.

Proposals could foresee cooperation with entities participating in projects funded by Japan and US to exchange knowledge and experience and exploit synergies in the field of fast charging and its impact on infrastructure in view of establishing future international standards.

The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of between EUR 5 and 15 million each depending on the number of developed vehicles and charging technologies would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.

Electrification of different types of transportation and delivery typically in urban and suburban areas (including buses, vans, medium trucks, and specialist vehicles such as trucks for refuse collection) is a privileged path to reduce their energy consumption and emissions. At the same time, achieving the same range capabilities using large over-night charged batteries would undermine their payload capacity and vehicle performance (e.g. acceleration and hill climbing ability). It is therefore necessary to integrate either a range extender or solutions for the fast transfer of significant energy volumes, be it at terminals, loading/de-loading stops or in-route. However, large magnitude power transfer directly from the grid can be costly and introduce disturbances into the grid. Furthermore, large power flows in relation to the total energy capacity of the involved energy storage systems may be harmful to the energy storage systems. Therefore, the different options of rapid charging at stops and terminus need to be assessed and compared with respect to cost and their impact on the power grid. The overall challenge is to design integrated, energy efficient low emission vehicles taking into account the powertrain, energy storage and the charging infrastructure needed to cover the intended missions, without compromising on vehicle performance or comfort and safety of the vehicle driver and occupants or increasing the final costs to the users/customers.

All actions will contribute to climate action and sustainable development objectives by achieving the following targets.

For electrified medium duty trucks for urban use:

―Energy efficiency improvements up to 70% in comparison with equivalent category conventional vehicles are targeted, with full electric driving ranges of at least 50 km (including energy recuperation and superfast charging at delivery stops).

―Low noise operation (<72 dB) allowing e.g. off peak delivery.

―Polluting emissions below Euro VI with a Conformity Factor of 1.2 in real driving when in range extended mode.

For electrified high capacity buses for urban use:

―Bus energy efficiency improvements similar to dual mode medium duty trucks, with an average speed compatible with normal bus operation, depending on whether charging take place only at end terminals or at bus stops.

―Polluting emissions below Euro VI with a Conformity Factor of 1.2 in real driving when in range extended mode.

―Reduced operating costs competitive with conventional low emissions buses or trucks.

For fast charging infrastructure:

―Power transfer capability above 100kW

―Transfer efficiencies above 90% for static contactless systems