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Higher Voltage, Megawatt Charging System compatible, modular powertrain for Heavy Duty Vehicles (HDV) (2ZERO Partnership)

Horizon Europe · Grant topic

HORIZON-CL5-2027-03-D5-05

Summary

A Polish company can use this call for R&D.

Funds companies and researchers developing and demonstrating modular high-voltage powertrains for heavy-duty electric vehicles compatible with megawatt charging.

Who can apply
Companies can lead: SME, large company, startup, research org, university.
Amount
€8M per projectTotal budget €16,000,000
Deadline
14 Apr 2027 02:00 CESTin 172 days
Status
Forthcomingopens 15 Dec 2026
Open on the portalRegister to keep this call

Machine-classified from the call text; check eligibility at the source.

Description

Expected Outcome:

Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:

• Demonstrated integration potential and modularity of next level advanced high-voltage systems to benefit cost of Commercial Vehicles (CV) in particular for the Heavy-Duty Vehicles (HDV) segment.

• Improved energy efficiency and higher utilization potential of HDV (ensuring full operational capability for the intended usage models) via high-voltage powertrain configurations.

• Demonstrated benefits of high-voltage systems also for fast charging and auxiliary components.

Scope:

Major challenges still faced by Heavy Duty Battery Electric Vehicles (HD-BEV) are cost and fast charging. As electric vehicles become more attractive through Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), significantly higher acquisition costs remain, partly caused by the wide spectrum of usage scenarios and a relatively low number of vehicles, which makes development costs a significant factor for vehicle price.

Proposed actions are expected to address all of the following aspects:

• Simplify system configurations while ensuring energy efficiency for achieving economies of scale and extending component lifespans.

• Increase the voltage (post 800V) to an optimal level with regard to efficiency, affordability, and performance – and especially the compatibility with Megawatt Charging Systems (MCS) – to support faster charging needs and reduction of charging losses within the vehicle by 10 %, while considering the context of modularity and safety.

• Demonstrate the benefits of high-voltage systems also for fast charging and addressing auxiliary components, e.g. thermal management, including the modular interchangeability.

• Consider the possibility of modular and removable battery systems that would favour second-life applications to further enhance sustainability.

• Develop modular powertrain systems to enable tailored solutions for specific use cases, maintain flexibility for broader applications also by developing and defining relevant hardware and software interfaces.

• Demonstrate vehicle solutions in relevant environments to ensure the ability for effective integration with innovative Electrical/Electronic (E/E) architecture and thermal management strategies, or wider solutions.

• Evaluate life-cycle costs against previous lower voltage systems in order to identify potential improvements.

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 7 by the end of the project – see General Annex B. Activities may start at any TRL.

Who can apply, in detail
Applicant types
SME, Large company, Startup, Research org, University
Purpose
Research and innovation
R&D relevance
3 of 3
Poland eligible
Yes
Country limit
—
Region
Any
Consortium
Unclear
Readiness level (TRL)
—
Topics
  • Heavy-duty electric vehicles
  • High-voltage modular powertrains
  • Megawatt charging
  • Vehicle energy efficiency

Machine-classified from the call text; check eligibility at the source. 23 Oct 2026

Conditions8

Typed facts extracted from the source documents by Scindu's grant-data review. Each value keeps its own conditions. Unknown means unstated, not zero or unlimited.

Applicant restriction
Entities established in an eligible country but directly or indirectly controlled by China or a legal entity established in China are not eligible to participate in this Innovation Action, under the cited critical-technology restriction.
Applicant type
Unless the call/topic provides otherwise, consortium beneficiaries must include at least three independent legal entities established in different countries: one in an EU Member State and two others in different EU Member States or Associated Countries. No topic-specific consortium-size exception was identified in this reviewed topic section.
Application restriction
The MOBILITY call is scheduled to open 15 December 2026 and close 14 April 2027; the Work Programme states deadlines are 17:00 Brussels local time. This call window is scheduled, not evidence that applications are currently accepted.
Consortium required
Yes
Eligible project scope
Develop and demonstrate a modular HDV powertrain with voltage above 800 V, compatible with Megawatt Charging Systems; the scope specifies reducing vehicle charging losses by 10% while addressing efficiency, affordability, performance and safety.
Other condition
The call overview indicates around 2 project(s) expected to be funded for this topic. This is a planning estimate, not guaranteed awards or a binding consortium/project-count condition.
Other condition
The topic scope specifies reducing charging losses within the vehicle by 10 percent.
Technology readiness level at end, minimum
7 TRL

Expected end-of-project level; activities may start at any TRL. This is the topic expectation, not an applicant past-performance qualification.

Amounts and costs8
Indicative budget
€16,000,000

Topic budget as stated in the portal's budget table. Lump-sum and per-project limits are in the call conditions.

Call allocation
€131,000,000

Overall indicative CL5-2027-03 call-pool budget, not a per-project or per-beneficiary award; subject to availability of EU appropriations.

Eligible cost
If a project uses satellite-based Earth observation, positioning, navigation and/or related timing data/services, beneficiaries must use Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS; other data/services may also be used.
Eligible cost
Personnel may be included as estimated cost categories in the lump-sum proposal budget, not separately reimbursed as actual payroll. Cost estimates must approximate actual costs, follow beneficiaries’ normal practices, be reasonable/non-excessive, align with proposed activities, and satisfy Horizon Europe basic eligibility rules.
Eligible cost
Eligible costs are funded as a lump sum. Under the Lump Sum MGA, contributions are eligible only when amounts are set out in Annex 2, work packages are completed, and work is properly implemented/results achieved in accordance with Annex 1 during the action period. This is payment by completed work package, not actual-cost reimbursement.
Funding intensity, maximum
70 percent_of_eligible_costs

Maximum rate for Innovation Actions is 70% of eligible costs for other entities; General Annex G allows up to 100% for non-profit legal entities. This is an entity-category ceiling, not a promise of a grant amount.

Funding intensity, maximum
100 percent_of_eligible_costs

For non-profit legal entities in this Innovation Action, the funding rate may be up to 100% of eligible costs. The General Annex states this as an exception to the standard 70% Innovation Action rate. This is a legal-entity-specific ceiling, not a grant guarantee.

Expected contribution per project
€8,000,000

Commission estimate of EU contribution per project; not a fixed ceiling or floor, and different requested amounts are not precluded.

Topic allocation
€16,000,000

Indicative topic budget pool. It is distinct from the per-project expected contribution and is not an individual beneficiary award.

Personnel and services1

  • Other role

    Staff cost the grant can fund

Source documents5
Call facts
Opens
15 Dec 2026
Deadline model
Single-stage
Programme
Horizon Europe · 2021 - 2027
Call
HORIZON-CL5-2027-03 · MOBILITY
Types of action
HORIZON Innovation Actions
Source
ec.europa.eu
Checked
24 Oct 2026
Portal updated
7 Oct 2026
Review status
Partial review
Reviewed
23 Oct 2026

This is a summary of the source page, not the official text. Eligibility, conditions and the submission system are at the source.