The Eurecat technology centre is coordinating the European Shift2Zero project which is investing its over €12 million budget to develop innovative new designs and functionalities for commercial e-vehicles to meet urban logistics needs, cut emissions and improve operational efficiency.
The project brings together leading players from across the logistics and automotive value chain “to innovate in technology and product design which brings efficient and sustainable solutions to the industry and has a positive impact on businesses and cities,” says Toni Lara, a researcher in Eurecat’s Product Innovation & Multiphysics Simulation Unit.
The project will address “zero-emission right-sized N1 light vehicle concepts with enhanced and safer functionalities which also include the capacity for dual transport of people and freight,” notes Fanny Breuil, Shift2Zero project coordinator and European Projects Coordination Unit manager at Eurecat.
To optimise logistics operations, the project “will integrate advanced freight management solutions such as modular units for mixed transport, including frozen, fresh, warm and dry goods, which means logistics providers won’t have to use different vehicles for different missions,” adds Mª Eugenia Rodríguez, the project’s technical coordinator and Technological Development director in Eurecat’s Industrial Area. “It will also have flexible swappable units making for easier seamless transhipment plus energy-efficient heating systems for passenger cabins.”
The project will additionally include geofencing technologies to ensure safe operations in restricted urban areas and two-way charging capabilities. Furthermore, it will minimise air pollution by cutting particle emissions through advanced tyre technology and more efficient braking systems, making these solutions even more sustainable.
Shift2Zero’s innovations will be fully aligned with current and future end-user needs in sectors such as e-commerce, returns management and cold delivery, meeting technical requirements for vehicles, fleets and infrastructure.
The solutions developed under the Shift2Zero project are to be demonstrated and validated in five pilot schemes targeting real-world urban logistics operations to be conducted in six European cities.
The consortium is coordinated by the Eurecat technology centre and brings together 30 partners from 10 European countries across academia, industry and public authorities spanning the entire logistics and automotive value chain.
