3. & 4. March 2026, Brussels

On 3. and 4. March 2026, the European Automotive Research Partners Association (EARPA) held its Spring Meeting 2026 in Brussels, bringing together nearly 200 participants from across the European automotive research and innovation community.

The two-day event gathered EARPA members, industry experts and policymakers to exchange insights on the future of automotive research and collaboration in Europe.

Day 1 focused on internal workshops for EARPA members, including sessions of the Foresight Groups and Collaborative Research Groups. Discussions explored emerging research priorities, contributions to EARPA position papers and collaboration opportunities for upcoming calls for 2026 and 2027 under Horizon Europe.

The evening networking reception opened with remarks from Michele De Gennaro, President of EARPA, highlighting the essential role of collaborative research in strengthening Europe’s competitiveness and translating research into real-world impact.

Day 2 began with the EARPA General Assembly, where members discussed the 2026 work plan, welcomed IAAPS University of Bath as a new member, and announced that Barcelona will host the Spring Meeting 2027.

The programme continued with keynote and panel discussions addressing key developments shaping the automotive sector. A keynote by Andrea De Candido (European Commission) provided updates on EU policy, followed by a panel on Autonomous Vehicles (AV) in the EU, moderated by Adrià Ferrer (Applus+ IDIADA). Panelists included Stefan Bogensberger (European Commission), Marzena Jougounoux (European Commission), and Charlotte Eisner (Bolt). Discussions highlighted the need for large-scale AV testing, high-quality data to train systems and the importance of building public trust through safe deployment.

A second panel, Navigating Economic and Political Shifts in the Automotive Sector: Consequences for Research and Innovation, was moderated by Peter Urban, EARPA Vice-President. Panelists included Stefan Deix (EURCAR), Oihana Otaegui (Vicomtech), Bert Pluymers (KU Leuven), Horst Pflügl (AVL) and Thilo Bein (Fraunhofer LBF). Key discussions focused on digitalisation, AI-enabled hardware, and the critical link between research and industry in driving innovation.

The EARPA Spring Meeting 2026 reinforced the importance of collaboration between research organisations, industry and policymakers in driving Europe’s automotive innovation and competitiveness.

Initiatives such as the E-VOLVE Cluster exemplify this approach in practice. By connecting complementary R&D projects across Europe, the cluster is delivering synergies that accelerate the development of the next generation of electric vehicles. Its work focuses on integrated innovations across EV components to meet future mobility needs, enhancing energy efficiency, usability, cost-effectiveness and driving range for both urban and inter-city travel.

Check out this link to access the event pictures: Spring Meeting 2026 | Flickr

We are very please to introduce to you the latest addition to our cluster, the HiVEP project.

“High-voltage power train for efficient electric vehicles”

As governments and consumers strive for climate neutrality and sustainable transportation, the demand for efficient electric vehicles (EVs) continues to grow. The EU-funded HiVEP project aims to advance high-voltage power train technologies for mass-market C-segment vehicles. It will develop architectures operating above 800 volts, incorporating ultra-efficient power electronics, advanced silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductors, and electric machines free of rare-earth materials. Key innovations include high-energy-density batteries with a 3.6 C-rate, enhanced thermal management systems, and a goal to reduce charging times to under 10 minutes, paving the way for more efficient and sustainable EV adoption. These advancements aim to reduce energy consumption by 25 %, increase driving range by 20 %, and lower power train costs by up to 20 % at mass production levels.

HiVEP’s Objectives

As governments and consumers worldwide aim for climate neutrality and sustainable transportation, the demand for more efficient vehicles steadily increases, pushing the voltage of the powertrain to new levels.
The HiVEP project is a groundbreaking initiative set to revolutionize electric vehicle (EV) efficiency and performance through advanced high-voltage powertrain technologies. Targeting mass-market C-segment vehicles, HiVEP introduces powertrain architectures operating above 800V, enhancing vehicle performance by integrating ultra-efficient power electronics with advanced SiC semiconductors, Active Winding Reconfiguration, integrated chargers, and rare-earth-free electric machines optimized for high voltages. It also includes high-energy-density batteries with 3.6 C-rate and optimized thermal management.
These innovations aim to drastically reduce EV charging times at under 10 minutes —a significant adoption barrier—reducing energy consumption by 25%, boosting range by 20% and enhancing driving dynamics. HiVEP also emphasizes the safety and sustainability of its systems, promoting resource efficiency and a lower lifecycle footprint through reduced material usage and energy consumption. Finally, it strives to maximise the affordability and cost competitivess of the innovations, by reducing future powertrain costs by 10-20% at mass production levels.
The project combines the expertise of 12 leading European automotive manufacturers, technology providers, and academic institutions, supported by innovative semiconductor manufacturers and EU platforms EARPA and CLEPA. This collaboration fosters a holistic innovation approach to address technical challenges effectively.
HiVEP’s ambitious goals aim to significantly cut carbon emissions in the transportation sector, align with global environmental targets, and bolster Europe’s leadership in sustainable automotive technology. Expected outcomes could catalyze further EV innovations, broadening adoption and acceptance.

We are looking forward to collaborating with you!

Source: CORDIS

22. & 23. October 2025 | Munich, Germany

Members of EGVIAfor2Zero gathered in Munich for a two-day meeting that combined strategic discussions, networking, and project updates. One part of the event was the presentation of the 2Zero project clusters, which bring together EU-funded projects working on complementary areas of clean and efficient vehicle technologies:

• V2X Cluster: addressing charging-related aspects
• E-Volve Cluster: improving electric vehicle efficiency
• AEVETO Cluster: advancing EVs for efficient and economic transport operations

Bernhard Brandstätter (Virtual Vehicle) presented the E-VOLVE Cluster, sharing the latest developments and collaborations among its member projects. The clusters aim to strengthen synergies, foster knowledge exchange, and accelerate innovation within the 2Zero partnership.

“The E-VOLVE Cluster demonstrates how collaboration between European projects can drive real progress in electric vehicle efficiency. Sharing experiences and results across initiatives helps us build a stronger innovation ecosystem for sustainable mobility.” — Bernhard Brandstätter, Virtual Vehicle

The meeting also featured updates on ongoing initiatives, including the recent MoU with the European Commission, the #WeDrive2Zero campaign results, progress on regional collaboration frameworks and upcoming events.

We were very happy to represent the E-VOLVE Cluster at the General Assembly meeting and to exchange with colleagues and other clusters. Thank you for having us!

We are pleased to announce another new member of the E-VOLVE Cluster: the ENLIGHTEN project. The acronym stands for “nExt geNeration 1200V eLectric hIGH volTage powErtraiN” and the project is coordinated by the AIT AUSTRIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY GMBH.

Read here more about the project’s objective:

ENLIGHTEN aims at developing, integrating and testing a next generation post 800V electric vehicle powertrain with an indicative voltage level of 1200V. It targets a higher performing, cost optimized and more sustainable drivetrain layout that is also backwards compatible to the existing charging infrastructure with 1000V or 500V respectively.
Determining exactly how high the new voltage level should be, to enable expected advantages in a systemic and systematic way is also part of the project. A new voltage level affects the entire sphere of electric mobility, both horizontally (vehicle, charging infrastructure, users, manufacturers) and vertically (OEM, tier1, tier2, single component supplier), hence a deliberate decision is required. To accomplish this an advanced electrical system architecture is presented by the ENLIGHTEN consortium in this proposal on whose basis a specific electric vehicle drivetrain will finally be developed and demonstrated in a C-segment vehicle. The at TRL5 delivered powertrain will consist of a dual voltage battery system and an integrated motor-inverter E-drive system, complemented by an intermediate DCDC converter, an AC and DC capable onboard charger and a power distribution. All power electronic devices will exploit low loss, ultra-fast switching gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductors for highest efficiency and to minimize cooling demand and component size. The dual voltage battery can be switched dynamically from one battery voltage into the other while driving. Through these and other measures, the ENLIGHTEN system delivers significant advances over the 2024 State of the Art. The ENLIGHTEN consortium includes 2 automotive companies, 1 Tier1 supplier and 2 SMEs. Their expertise is leveraged by the partnership with 2 research institutions and 4 academia/universities, constituting an ideal setup for strengthening the competitiveness of the European automotive industry.

If you want to find out more about the project use the links we included here.

We are very much looking forward to the collaborative work.