RESOLVE · Project

Affordable Electric Light Vehicles That Make Car Drivers Switch for City Commutes

transportTestedTRL 6

Imagine if your daily city commute didn't require a full-size car — just a nimble, electric tilting vehicle that's cheaper to buy, easier to park, and uses far less energy. That's what RESOLVE built: modular electric powertrains and smart battery systems specifically for lightweight vehicles like scooters and micro-cars. Piaggio and KTM — Europe's two biggest light vehicle makers — led the effort and built working demonstrators that tilt into corners like a motorcycle but feel stable like a car. The goal was to make these vehicles so comfortable and affordable that regular car drivers would actually want to switch.

By the numbers

EUR 6,844,027

EU funding for electric light vehicle development

consortium partners across the ELV value chain

countries represented in the consortium

full vehicle demonstrators built (Piaggio + KTM)

industry partners (67% of consortium)

total project deliverables produced

The business problem

What needed solving

European cities face worsening congestion, rising emissions, and scarce parking — yet most commuters still drive full-size cars for trips that don't need them. Electric light vehicles could solve this, but car drivers don't see them as comfortable, safe, or practical enough to switch. The market needs affordable, attractive electric alternatives that feel like a real upgrade, not a downgrade.

The solution

What was built

RESOLVE built 2 complete tilting four-wheeler electric vehicle demonstrators (L2e and L6e categories) by Piaggio and KTM, plus a tilting three-wheeler demonstrator. These integrate modular electric powertrains, scalable battery architectures, advanced control systems, and an HMI prototype tested for usability and ergonomic comfort.

Audience

Who needs this

Shared mobility operators looking for affordable urban fleet vehiclesElectric vehicle component suppliers wanting to enter the light vehicle marketCity authorities planning low-emission zones and urban mobility transitionsLast-mile delivery companies needing compact, electric urban vehiclesLight vehicle OEMs exploring electric product lines

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Urban Mobility & Fleet Services

mid-size

Target: City mobility operators, shared vehicle fleet companies, last-mile delivery services

If you are a shared mobility operator dealing with high vehicle costs and urban congestion — this project developed modular, scalable electric powertrains for L-category vehicles that cut energy consumption and cost. The tilting narrow-track design means easier parking and maneuvering. With 18 consortium partners including Piaggio and KTM validating the designs, the technology is backed by Europe's largest light vehicle manufacturers.

Automotive Components & EV Supply Chain

SME

Target: Electric powertrain suppliers, battery system manufacturers, motor controllers

If you are a component supplier looking to enter the growing light electric vehicle market — RESOLVE created modular and scalable EV architectures purpose-built for L-category vehicles, not downsized from cars. The project delivered 2 full vehicle demonstrators integrating powertrain, control systems, and HMI across L2e and L6e categories. With 12 industry partners in the consortium, there is a validated supply chain you can plug into.

Municipal Transport & Urban Planning

enterprise

Target: City transport authorities, municipal fleet managers, urban logistics planners

If you are a city authority dealing with congestion, emissions, and scarce parking — RESOLVE demonstrated electric tilting vehicles designed to replace cars for daily urban commutes. The vehicles use smaller batteries thanks to lower weight, supporting faster recharge and lower costs. The project was tested with 2 demonstrator vehicles built by Piaggio and KTM across a consortium spanning 7 countries.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would these electric light vehicles cost compared to a standard EV car?

RESOLVE specifically targeted 'very low cost requirements' for the L-category segment. Smaller size and lighter weight mean smaller batteries and lower on-board energy needs, which directly reduces purchase price. Based on available project data, specific retail price points were not published, but the architecture was designed for cost-effectiveness from the ground up.

Can the powertrain technology scale to mass production?

The project explicitly developed modular and scalable electric powertrains and battery architectures. With Piaggio and KTM — Europe's 2 largest light vehicle manufacturers — leading the consortium of 18 partners, the designs were created with industrial manufacturing in mind. The 12 industry partners (67% of the consortium) ensured production feasibility was built into the development.

What about IP and licensing for the technology?

RESOLVE was an EU-funded Research and Innovation Action (RIA) with EUR 6,844,027 in funding across 18 partners. IP is typically shared among consortium members under the grant agreement. Companies interested in licensing specific components (powertrain modules, battery architecture, tilting mechanisms) would need to contact the relevant consortium partner directly.

What vehicle categories does this cover?

The demonstrators targeted L2e (three-wheel mopeds) and L6e (light quadricycles) categories specifically. However, the project states that a large number of advances are also applicable to the complete range of electric L-category vehicles, including powered two-wheelers like electric scooters and motorcycles.

Is this technology road-legal and regulation-ready?

The vehicles were built to L2e and L6e EU vehicle categories, which have established type-approval regulations. The project ran from 2015 to 2018 and delivered working demonstrators that integrated powertrain, control systems, and HMI. Based on available project data, full type-approval certification details were not published in the deliverable summaries.

How does this compare to electric scooters already on the market?

RESOLVE went beyond standard electric scooters by developing tilting and narrow-track concepts that offer car-like stability with motorcycle-like agility. The focus was on attracting ICE car drivers who don't consider standard light vehicles comfortable enough. The HMI prototype was specifically tested for usability, safety, and ergonomic comfort.

Consortium

Who built it

This is a strongly industry-driven consortium with 12 out of 18 partners (67%) from industry — unusual for EU research projects and a strong signal that the technology was designed for real manufacturing. The two consortium leaders, Piaggio and KTM, are Europe's largest light vehicle manufacturers, meaning the results were validated by companies that actually build and sell these vehicles at scale. The consortium spans 7 countries (AT, CZ, DE, ES, IT, PL, UK), covering major European automotive markets. With 4 universities and 2 research organizations providing the science, and the full ELV value chain represented including top component suppliers, this project had direct pathways from lab to factory floor.

PIAGGIO & C S.P.A.Coordinator · IT
AIT AUSTRIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY GMBHparticipant · AT
ROBERT BOSCH GMBHparticipant · DE
UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI FIRENZEparticipant · IT
RE:LAB SRLparticipant · IT
WAMTECHNIK SPOLKA Z OGRANICZONA ODPOWIEDZIALNOSCIAparticipant · PL
IDIADA AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY SAparticipant · ES
RICARDO DEUTSCHLAND GMBHparticipant · DE
UNIVERSITA DI PISAparticipant · IT
CESKE VYSOKE UCENI TECHNICKE V PRAZEparticipant · CZ
LKR LEICHTMETALLKOMPETENZZENTRUM RANSHOFEN GMBHthirdparty · AT
UNIVERSITY OF WARWICKparticipant · UK
KISKA GMBHparticipant · AT
MARELLI EUROPE SPAparticipant · IT

How to reach the team

Piaggio & C S.p.A. (Italy) — Europe's largest scooter and light vehicle manufacturer, coordinator of the RESOLVE project

Order a report on this consortium See PIAGGIO & C S.P.A. profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want an introduction to the RESOLVE consortium for licensing discussions or technology partnerships? SciTransfer can connect you with the right people — contact us for a matchmaking brief.

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