CEVOLVER · Project

Smart Connected Systems That Make Electric Cars Go Farther on Smaller Batteries

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Imagine buying an electric car that's affordable because it doesn't need an oversized battery — yet it can still handle a full day road trip. CEVOLVER figured out how to squeeze more range out of smaller batteries by making the car smarter about how it uses energy, manages heat, and plans routes to fast chargers. Think of it like a GPS that not only finds the fastest route but also the most energy-efficient one, guiding you to chargers where you'll spend the least time waiting. The result is an electric car that costs less upfront and still gets you where you need to go without range anxiety.

By the numbers

consortium partners collaborating on the solution

countries represented in the development consortium

64%

industry partner ratio in the consortium

project deliverables completed

The business problem

What needed solving

Electric vehicles remain too expensive for mainstream buyers primarily because bigger batteries are needed for longer range, driving up cost. At the same time, drivers face range anxiety due to unreliable range predictions and uncertainty about fast-charging availability along their route. This chicken-and-egg problem — expensive cars with limited practical usability — blocks mass-market EV adoption.

The solution

What was built

The project built a demonstrator vehicle with an OEM cloud platform featuring integrated energy and thermal management, plus connected eco-driving and eco-routing driver assistance for optimized range prediction and fast-charger routing. Across 8 deliverables, the team delivered vehicle-level energy optimization, connectivity-based control strategies, and a transferability methodology for applying results to other vehicle platforms.

Audience

Who needs this

EV manufacturers looking to reduce battery costs without sacrificing rangeAutomotive Tier-1 suppliers developing thermal and energy management systemsCharging network operators wanting smarter driver-to-charger matchingFleet operators transitioning from combustion to electric vehiclesNavigation and routing software companies building EV-specific features

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Automotive OEMs & Tier-1 Suppliers

enterprise

Target: Electric vehicle manufacturers and powertrain suppliers

If you are an EV manufacturer struggling with the cost-range trade-off — this project developed an integrated energy and thermal management system demonstrated in an OEM vehicle that reduces energy consumption without increasing battery size. The approach was validated across 11 consortium partners from 7 countries, with a demonstrator vehicle and cloud-connected control strategies ready for testing.

EV Charging Infrastructure

mid-size

Target: Fast-charging network operators and route planning services

If you are a charging network operator trying to increase utilization of your stations — this project built connectivity-based eco-routing that guides drivers to fast chargers along their route where sufficient power is available. The system predicts range and optimizes charging stops, meaning your stations get matched to drivers who actually need them, reducing idle capacity.

Fleet Management & Mobility Services

any

Target: Commercial fleet operators transitioning to electric vehicles

If you are a fleet manager worried about switching to electric because your vehicles need to cover long daily routes — this project demonstrated that long trips are achievable without bigger batteries by combining on-board thermal management, energy management, and connected eco-driving assistance. The OEM cloud integration means fleet-wide energy optimization can be managed centrally.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to license or integrate this technology?

The project consortium is led by FEV Europe GmbH, a major automotive engineering services company. Licensing terms would need to be negotiated directly with the consortium partners. As an Innovation Action with 7 industrial partners, the IP is likely distributed across multiple organizations.

Can this scale to full production vehicles?

The project produced a demonstrator vehicle with OEM cloud integration for energy and thermal management, tested and validated. With 7 industrial partners including FEV Europe (a global automotive engineering firm) and an industry ratio of 64%, the consortium was specifically designed for transfer to production. The methodology was built for efficient transferability to further vehicle platforms.

Who owns the intellectual property?

IP is shared among the 11 consortium partners across 7 countries under Horizon 2020 rules. FEV Europe GmbH as coordinator likely holds key integration IP. Individual components (thermal management, connectivity, eco-routing) may be owned by different partners, requiring targeted licensing discussions.

Is this compatible with existing vehicle platforms?

The project specifically adopted a methodology for efficient transferability of results to further vehicles. The early assessment approach validates benefits before implementation, meaning the technology was designed to be platform-agnostic rather than locked to one vehicle model.

What's the timeline to get this into our vehicles?

The project ran from 2018 to 2022 and completed all deliverables including the demonstrator vehicle. The technology has been tested and is at a stage where integration into OEM development cycles is feasible. Typical automotive integration from this stage takes 2-3 years depending on the vehicle program.

Does this meet current EV regulations and standards?

The project addressed the LC-GV-01-2018 topic on next-generation electrified vehicles under EU transport policy. Based on available project data, the demonstrator was built to meet European vehicle standards. Specific certification details would need to be confirmed with the consortium.

Consortium

Who built it

The CEVOLVER consortium of 11 partners from 7 countries (AT, BE, DE, FR, IT, NL, SE) is heavily industry-driven at 64%, which is a strong signal for commercial viability. Led by FEV Europe GmbH — one of the world's largest independent automotive engineering services companies — the project had direct access to OEM development pipelines. With 7 industrial partners, 2 universities, and 2 research organizations, this is a well-balanced team that combined academic research with real-world vehicle engineering. The presence of 2 SMEs suggests specialized technology contributions. The geographic spread across major European automotive markets (Germany, France, Italy, Sweden, Netherlands) positions the results for broad adoption across the EU automotive industry.

FEV EUROPE GMBHCoordinator · DE
ROBERT BOSCH GMBHparticipant · DE
VOLVO PERSONVAGNAR ABparticipant · SE
CENTRO RICERCHE FIAT SCPAparticipant · IT
RHEINISCH-WESTFAELISCHE TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULE AACHENparticipant · DE
VRIJE UNIVERSITEIT BRUSSELparticipant · BE
FORD-WERKE GMBHparticipant · DE
UNIRESEARCH BVparticipant · NL
I2M UNTERNEHMENSENTWICKLUNG GMBHparticipant · AT
IFP Energies nouvellesparticipant · FR

How to reach the team

FEV Europe GmbH is the coordinator — a well-known automotive engineering firm based in Germany. Their project team can be reached through FEV's public contact channels or via the project website.

Order a report on this consortium See FEV EUROPE GMBH profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how CEVOLVER's connected EV energy management technology could fit your product roadmap? SciTransfer can arrange a direct introduction to the right consortium partner for your specific use case.

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