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Aerodynamic and Flexible Trucks for Next Generation of Long Distance Road Transport

Project description

DEENESFRITPL

Innovative technologies to enhance road transport

The transport sector accounts for 25 % of total CO2 emissions in the EU, hindering the road transport system’s ability to achieve the ambitious targets outlined in the European Commission’s Transport White Paper. To tackle these challenges and support the road transport industry, the EU-funded AEROFLEX project aims to develop and showcase innovative technologies, concepts and vehicle architectures. These advancements will optimise aerodynamics, powertrains, safety systems, and the flexibility and adaptability of loading units for complete vehicles. The project will assess the European freight transport market, including its drivers, constraints, trends, and criteria for mode and vehicle selection. It will demonstrate potential improvements in truck aerodynamics and energy management. AEROFLEX will also provide comprehensive recommendations for revising standards and legislative frameworks.

Objective

The transport sector contributes to about 25% of total CO2 emissions in the EU and is the only sector where the trend is still increasing. Taking into account the growing demand on the road transport system and the ambitious targets of the EC’s Transport White Paper, it is paramount to increase the efficiency of freight transport.
The vision of the AEROFLEX project is to support vehicle manufacturers and the logistics industry to achieve the coming challenges for road transport. The overall objective of the AEROFLEX project is to develop and demonstrate new technologies, concepts and architectures for complete vehicles with optimised aerodynamics, powertrains and safety systems as well as flexible and adaptable loading units with advanced interconnectedness contributing to the vision of a “physical internet”. The optimal matching of novel vehicle concepts and infrastructures is highly important, requiring the definition of smart infrastructure access policies for the next generation of trucks, load carriers and road infrastructure.
The specific technical objectives, main innovations and targeted key results are:
1. Characterise the European freight transport market (map, quantify and predict), the drivers, the constraints, the trends, and the mode and vehicle choice criteria
2. Develop new concepts and technologies for trucks with reduced drag, which are safer, comfortable, configurable and cost effective and ensure satisfaction of intermodal customer needs under varying transport tasks and conditions.
3. Demonstrate potential truck aerodynamics and energy management improvements with associated impact assessments of the new vehicle concepts, technologies and features developed in the AEROFLEX project.
4. Drafting of coherent recommendations for revising standards and legislative frameworks in order to allow the new aerodynamic and flexible vehicle concepts on the road.
To achieve an overall 18-33% efficiency improvement in road transport / long haulage by 2025+.

Fields of science

Programme(s)

Topic(s)

Call for proposal

H2020-GV-2016-2017

See other projects for this call

Sub call

H2020-GV-2017

Funding Scheme

IA - Innovation action

Coordinator

MAN TRUCK & BUS SE
Net EU contribution
€ 795 968,25
Address
Dachauer strasse 667
80995 Munchen
Germany

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Region
Bayern Oberbayern München, Kreisfreie Stadt
Activity type
Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments)
Links
Other funding
€ 341 129,25

Participants (26)

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Last update: 26 July 2022

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Permalink: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/769658

European Union, 2023