EV Sector Reports & Papers

This report identifies the critical research and innovation (R&I) priorities for decarbonising Europe's heavy-duty vehicles, based on direct feedback from industry stakeholders. The findings reveal a consensus: battery electric technology is the primary pathway forward, with significant stakeholder support for R&I focused on its improvement. While battery electric technology is perceived as more mature, hydrogen is considered a complementary solution for the most demanding long-haul routes. Large-scale demonstrations are suggested for de-risking operations and evaluating integration with the transport and energy system. The analysis confirms that achieving TCO parity or better compared to diesel is the most important factor for market uptake. This study provides direct, evidence-based guidance for EU transport R&I policy, helping to chart the road ahead and orient R&I call programming to meet the ambitious CO₂ emission standards for heavy-duty vehicles.

This report provides a comprehensive overview of European research and innovation in support of zero-emission heavy-duty road transport. The report analyses 153 projects, 151 of them funded under FP7, Horizon 2020, and Horizon Europe, and two from the European Investment Bank. The analysed projects cover a wide range of topics from battery chemistry to deployment and operations of the zero-emission vehicles. The report showcases the significant advancements in developing and demonstrating the technologies, standards, and best practices, and identifies the challenges and opportunities for future research and innovation. The report contributes thus to European transport and research and innovation policy discussions on zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles and infrastructure development