While Fully electric vehicles (EV) have zero tailpipe emissions and are seen as a key solution to meeting the European Fit-for-55 target of reducing CO2 levels in 2030 and climate-neutrality by 2050, much more can be potentially achieved if the global market uptake of innovative EVs is accelerated. The ZEV-UP project aims to address this urgent need by developing modular, cost-effective, and user-centric EVs for both passenger and goods transportation. Leveraging innovative design and engineering techniques, ZEV-UP vehicles will be tailored to meet the specific needs of users in both developed and emerging markets, ensuring high levels of user acceptance and market uptake. Key innovations include a base L7e BEV model that is designed respectful of affordability and can be upgraded and adapted for various purposes and needs, including commercial applications and higher-value passenger vehicles. By optimizing vehicle components for reduced material usage and enhanced structural properties, the project will achieve lighter vehicles with increased autonomy and minimized environmental impact. ZEV-UP will also develop digital-twin models to improve vehicle development efficiency and reduce validation costs, as well as designing charging capabilities compatible with a variety of regional power systems. Novel business and usage models, such as Battery as a Service, will be explored to maximize the benefits and impact of the L7e BEV platform. User-centric design, informed by market research and field interviews in both established and developing countries, will be a central focus of the project. Additionally, ZEV-UP will develop a proliferation model to assess policy intervention scenarios and strategize for short- and long-term BEV uptake in various markets. By delivering these key results and adhering to its objectives, ZEV-UP will accelerate the transition to sustainable urban mobility and contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the transport sector.

Envisioned battery demand of 735 GWh for electric mobility by 2025, escalating to a projected 125 million Electric Vehicles (EVs) by 2033, fuels our impetus for innovation. However, these prospects are marred by real safety concerns, evidenced by 2 harrowing ship fires involving luxury EVs, despite adherence to the most stringent safety protocols. SAFELOOP is a collaborative effort involving 15 entities from 11 countries, representing a blend of research, manufacturing, and business across Europe. Transatlantic partners are joining forces to bolster competitive material-level technologies and supply chain logistics. Key goals include securing strategic raw material feedstock, reducing reliance on Asian supply chains, intensifying environmental sustainability, optimizing energy-efficient processing, and demonstrating technological leadership. SAFELOOP’s focal point is Gen3 EU EV Li-Ion Battery (LIB) safety, encompassing the entire life cycle of LIBs within EVs. Safety is considered in a broader sense, not just at a cell level, while the latter remains a key pillar of the research at hand. To name a few, material handling, component processing, battery manufacturing, testing, transport, maintenance, and recycling of active materials are considered. A Eurocentric supply chain for EV-grade battery materials will be established, minimizing the environmental and cost impact of long-distance transportation. SAFELOOP ensures that batteries and their components adhere to EU safety and environmental regulations. Beyond enhancing EU battery safety, the project seeks to develop the world's first EV-rated LIB using up to 25% recycled and fully rejuvenated battery-active materials. This initiative paves the way for an ambitious industry-wide recycling target of 90% within the next decade, akin to today's lead-acid battery industry's 95% recycling rate. These ecologically responsible solutions address key aspects of automotive battery safety within the EU and beyond.

The battery, although central to the green transition of road transport, currently suffers from a supply chain that lacks traceability, sustainability, resiliency, and circularity. Critical Raw Materials (CRMs) are essential for battery manufacturing. The explosive growth of electric vehicles, driven by climate neutrality policy objectives, will pressure the CRM supply chain and increase EU dependency on third countries, resulting in decreased competitiveness for EU automotive and battery manufacturers. Implementing the digital battery passport (DBP) concept in the battery value chain could resolve these issues. The main goal of the BASE project is to develop, validate, and implement a working DBP service, as mandated by the “Regulation.” This will be achieved by exploiting data collected through a number of constantly evolving tools and methods, ensuring a transparent, secure, and cost-efficient platform operation, while also catalyzing the growth of circular businesses. BASE will develop transparent methodologies to calculate battery performance and ESGE indicators, ensuring traceability down to the CRM level throughout the entire battery value chain. In the physical domain, this will be achieved through the mass balancing approach. On the data management side, by exploiting distributed ledger technology, BASE will ensure built-in data authenticity verification along the value chain, with no data duplication, avoiding data manipulation, assuring privacy by design, and promoting data interoperability. The DBP will provide up-to-date and accurate data on battery performance indicators, remaining useful life, dismantling, material composition, and safety. This will allow for an increase in the useful service life of batteries and more efficient recycling, which will enhance resource efficiency, reduce waste, and decrease EU dependency on CRMs from third countries. The applicability of the DBP will be demonstrated through four pilot use cases.