Imagine your phone battery lasting a third longer without getting any bigger or heavier — now apply that to electric cars. GHOST figured out how to redesign the entire battery pack, from the casing materials to the cooling system, so it stores more energy in less space. They even tested a hybrid setup combining today's lithium-ion cells with next-generation lithium-sulfur ones, like pairing a marathon runner with a sprinter. The results were demonstrated in a real electric bus with superfast charging and a plug-in hybrid car.
Electric vehicle batteries are too heavy, too expensive, and too hard to integrate into different vehicle platforms. Automakers and bus manufacturers need battery packs that store more energy per kilogram while costing less to assemble, cool, and install — without compromising safety or making every vehicle a custom engineering project.
The project built and validated a dual-cell battery module combining Li-ion and Li-S technologies, plus two full vehicle demonstrators: a BEV bus with superfast charge capability and a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. Deliverables confirm completed assembly, commissioning, prototyping, and functional bench verification of the battery systems.
If you are an EV manufacturer struggling with battery pack weight and cost — this project developed modular battery system designs that increase energy density up to 20% using advanced lightweight housing materials and cut integration costs by at least 30% through smart design. The solutions were validated in a real PHEV demonstrator led by Fiat Research Center.
If you are a bus manufacturer or transit operator looking for longer-range electric buses with minimal downtime — this project built and tested a BEV bus demonstrator with superfast charge capability. The dual battery system concept pushed energy density up to 30% beyond current lithium-ion technology, meaning more kilometers per charge without a heavier bus.
If you are in the battery aftermarket wondering what to do with used EV batteries — this project evaluated second-life battery potential, applications, and markets. With the automotive industry producing millions of spent packs, the dismantling techniques and market assessments developed here can guide your business case for repurposing or recycling battery modules.
The project targeted at least 30% reduction in battery integration cost through mass-producible, smart design solutions. This covers housing, thermal management, and assembly — not just cell chemistry. Actual cost figures per kWh are not published in the available data.
Yes, that was a core goal. The project specifically developed mass-producible design solutions and new prototyping and manufacturing techniques for battery systems. The consortium included 11 industrial partners, and the coordinator is Centro Ricerche Fiat, Fiat's own research arm.
As an EU Innovation Action with 15 partners across 7 countries, IP is jointly owned per the grant agreement. Licensing would need to be negotiated with the consortium, likely led by Centro Ricerche Fiat as coordinator. Contact SciTransfer for introductions.
The project produced physical demonstrators: a BEV bus with superfast charging, a PHEV vehicle, and a lab-level module for lithium-sulfur technology. Deliverables confirm completed prototyping, commissioning, and functional verification of the battery systems.
The modular and scalable design was a stated objective. Solutions were demonstrated in two different vehicle types (bus and PHEV), suggesting adaptability across platforms. Integration specifics would need to be discussed with the consortium partners.
The project defined new test methodologies and procedures to evaluate reliability, safety, and lifetime of different battery systems. This includes thermal management strategies, which are critical for passing automotive safety certifications.
The project closed in December 2021. Technologies were projected to be ready for first market introduction from 2023. Based on available project data, follow-up commercialization would be through individual consortium members, particularly the automotive OEMs involved.
This is a heavyweight automotive consortium. Led by Centro Ricerche Fiat (Fiat's dedicated R&D center in Italy), the 15-partner team spans 7 countries and is 73% industrial — meaning 11 out of 15 partners come from the private sector, including OEMs, suppliers, and engineering firms. The project explicitly mentions members of EUCAR (European auto manufacturers), CLEPA (suppliers association), and EARPA (research organizations). With only 1 university and 3 research organizations rounding out the team, this was built to deliver products, not papers. For a business looking to license or adopt these battery technologies, the industrial density of this consortium means the solutions were designed with manufacturing realities in mind from day one.
Centro Ricerche Fiat SCPA (Italy) — Fiat's R&D center, reachable through their corporate channels or via SciTransfer introduction
Want an introduction to the GHOST consortium for licensing, partnership, or technical evaluation? Contact SciTransfer — we connect businesses with EU research teams.
