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

• Health, demographic change and wellbeing;
• Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine and maritime and inland water research, and the Bioeconomy;
• Secure, clean and efficient energy;
• Smart, green and integrated transport;
• Climate action, environment, resource efficiency and raw materials;
• Europe in a changing world - inclusive, innovative and reflective societies;
• Secure societies - protecting freedom and security of Europe and its citizens.

Within this programme Horizon 2020 will provide funding for a resource efficient transport that respects the environment, aims at a better mobility, less congestion, more safety and security, supports a global leadership for the European transport industry and targets a socio-economic and behavioural research and forward looking activities for policy making.

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.

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.

A ‘demonstration or pilot’ aims to validate the technical and economic viability of a new or improved technology, product, process, service or solution in an operational (or near to operational) environment, whether industrial or otherwise, involving where appropriate a larger scale prototype or demonstrator. 

This topic is particularly relevant for SME participation.

The consortium should have at least two cities as beneficiaries.

The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of between 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.

EU funding rate: 70% (except for non-profit legal entities, where a rate of 100% applies).

Electronic submission here.