Demonstration (pilots) for integration of electrified L-category vehicles in the urban transport system

Proposals should focus on the demonstration of the potential market penetration of EL-Vs in different European cities. It should enable EL-V manufacturers to make vehicles more attractive to the general public, support a mind-shift and encourage the uptake of EL-Vs (in particular two/three wheelers and light quadricycles). The demonstration of EL-Vs as private, shared, or service vehicles will make the public more familiar with easy to operate EL-Vs and allow overcoming issues such as range anxiety. Enabling users to experience the wide range of EL-Vs as part of their daily personal mobility, will make them more aware of their real mobility needs and allow the integration of EL-Vs with other private and public modes of transport. Surveys among private and professional users should measure in how far the demonstration projects provide attractive services and match market demands.

The scope includes deployment of ICT tools for driver support and services such as communication with back-office, booking, route scheduling, real time monitoring of vehicle performance to enhance eco-driving and for integrating EL-Vs into the urban transport. The scope also includes the compatibility of EL-Vs with other vehicles’ charging stations and with cheaper charging devices, such as home chargers.

Compatibilities and potential incompatibilities between different categories of vehicles (L, M, N) should be identified and documented, suitable to serve as a basis for creating or adapting street rules, type approval regulations, standards and policy measures for the deployment of an effective charging infrastructure.

The consortium should have at least two cities as beneficiaries.

In order to maximise the impact in this topic, the focus of investments planned in these proposals should be on the demonstration of the potential market penetration of EL-Vs in different European cities, rather than purchasing the actual vehicles and their appropriate infrastructure.

This topic is particularly relevant for SME participation.

The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of between EUR 7 to 10 million each would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.

Growing urbanisation in Europe is generating increased traffic congestion, greenhouse gas emissions, and air pollution. Economic development requires an efficient and sustainable mobility system and European citizens need affordable and adaptable transport options through synergies between different modes. L-category vehicles, for individual passenger transport and for small logistics, are an effective solution to address the growing problems of traffic congestion in towns and cities across the EU. Smaller, lighter and more specialised than other vehicles, their use produces economic savings in terms of time gained, energy consumption and space required for moving and parking. Electrified L-category vehicles (EL-Vs) are a further step towards an even more sustainable urban mobility but they are still a niche market, mainly due to cost, lack of public information and limited direct user experience. However, last generation EL-Vs, and those currently under development, could meet mainstream customer expectations and contribute to urban quality of life.

As described in the specific challenge above, the demonstration will contribute to assess the potential market penetration of EL-Vs and consumers’ needs and expectations.

Actions are expected to give details on their contribution to speed up the penetration of EL-Vs into the market and will supply the manufacturer with crucial information for the development and the engineering work of the next generation of EL-Vs.

The work on deployment of ICT tools for driver support and services is expected to give the vehicle manufacturers and mobility service providers the necessary information to develop successful business models.

Actions will demonstrate how the proposed innovation will contribute to quality of life in urban environments (including commuting), and will provide recommendations for effective policy measures supporting the deployment of EVs, as well as for an optimised grid and charging infrastructure, able to guarantee compatibility among different type of EVs.

In addition, the demonstration will provide data on real driving conditions useful to design policy measures (i.e. optimal amount and distribution of public charging points, identification and possible areas accessible only to electrical L vehicles, interaction with other means of transport and vulnerable road users).

Project results will also contribute to climate action and sustainable development objectives.