ESCALATE

Powering EU Net Zero Future by Escalating Zero Emission HDVs and Logistic Intelligence

Heavy-duty vehicles account for about 25 % of EU road transport CO2 emissions and about six percent of total EU emissions. In line with the Paris Agreement and Green Deal targets, Regulation (EU) 2019/1242 setting CO2 emission standards for HDVs forces the transition to a seamless integration of zero-emission vehicles into fleets.

In line with the European 2050 goals ESCALATE aims to demonstrate high-efficiency zHDV powertrains (up to ten percent increase) for long-haul applications that will provide a range of 800 km without refueling/recharging and cover at least 500 km average daily operation (at least six months) in real conditions. ESCALATE will achieve this by following modularity and scalability approach starting from the β-level of hardware and software innovations and aiming to reach the γ-level in the first sprint and eventually the δ-level at the project end through its two sprint-V-cycle.

ESCALATE is built on the novel concepts around three main innovation areas, which are:

1. Standardized well-designed, cost effective modular and scalable multi-powertrain components;
2. Fast Fueling & Grid-friendly charging solutions; and
3. Digital Twin (DT) & AI-based management tools considering capacity, availability, speed, and nature of the charging infrastructures as well as the fleet structures.

Throughout the project lifetime, five pilots, five Digital Twins and five case studies on TCO (with the target of ten percent reduction), together with their environmental performance via TranSensusLCA will be performed. The ultimate goal is to develop well-designed modular building blocks with a TRL7/8 based on business model innovations used for three types of zHDVs (b-HDV,f-HDV,r-HDV). Furthermore, three white papers will be produced, one of which will contribute defining the pathway for reducing well-to-wheel GHG emissions from HDVs based on results and policy assessments.