Imagine your electric car losing a huge chunk of its battery just to keep you warm in winter. This project creates a smarter heating and cooling system that learns exactly how you like your temperature to save energy. It's like upgrading from a basic heater to a smart home system that knows where you are and what you need, keeping the battery for driving instead of just heating the air.
Electric vehicles lose significant driving range in extreme weather due to inefficient heating and cooling. Current systems often ignore individual user comfort preferences, leading to wasted energy.
A suite of thermal hardware (CO2-hydrocarbon AC, infrared heating, improved insulation) and software (AI-based predictive control, user-centred HMI, and a dedicated ECU).
If you are an LCV manufacturer dealing with customer complaints about range drop in winter — this project developed AI-based control strategies and new insulation that reduce climate-related range loss by at least 30%. This allows your vans to complete more deliveries per charge.
If you are a thermal system supplier dealing with inefficient heating units — this project developed a CO2-hydrocarbon AC system and infrared heating. These technology bricks are expected to equip 2.1-3.6 million vehicles annually by 2035.
If you are a software provider dealing with rigid energy management — this project developed predictive, AI-based control functions and a user-centred HMI. This results in a 10% reduction in overall energy demand through smarter power distribution.
Based on available project data, specific pricing is not provided, but the objective is to develop cost-effective thermal and energy management solutions.
Yes, the project targets a scale where technology bricks could equip 2.1-3.6 million vehicles annually by 2035.
Based on available project data, the licensing terms are not specified; however, the consortium includes 6 industry partners and 4 SMEs who will likely hold the resulting IP.
The project runs from 2026-04-01 to 2029-03-31, meaning validated results will be available by early 2029.
The project specifically includes the development of an ECU for integrated control to manage the new thermal technologies.
The consortium is heavily industry-weighted with 46% industry participation (6 companies), including 4 SMEs. This balance, combined with 3 universities and 4 research institutes across 5 European countries, suggests a strong focus on commercial viability and practical implementation rather than purely theoretical research.
Contact AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH for technical specifications on the AI-based thermal control.
Contact SciTransfer to identify potential licensing partners for the CO2-hydrocarbon AC system.
