The Green Intelligent Affordable Nano Transport Solutions (GIANTS) is a €12 million, 42-month project with 23 partners from industry and research institutes. The group is designing a platform to enable three types of lighter-weight, cost-conscious, solar-powered electric vehicle prototypes for passengers and cargo.
The platform includes battery technology, powertrains and solar PV components that will be standardized.
Small fleets of the GIANTS' LEV prototypes will be demonstrated in the European cities of Stockholm and Bruges, plus demonstration sites in Kisumu, Kenya, Delhi, India, and Manila, Philippines.
In the study the three light electric vehicle (LEV) types are designed for either people or cargo: a three-wheel vehicle with a top speed of 50 km/h, the L5 type, and two four-wheel types, the L6 with up to two seats, top speed of 28 mph, 350 kg, and 6 kW rated power, plus the L7 type, weighing up to 550 kg, with 15 kW rated power.
The plan is to apply digital twin technology to support predictive maintenance, refurbishment services, and end-of-life recycling.
The Horizon Europe framework-funded effort includes partners from established automotive companies, such as France's Renault and Japan-based Toyota Motor Europe, as well as startups developing light electric vehicles (LEV), such as Squad Mobility, with passenger models, and Tux Mobility, with a cargo model. Both startups are Netherlands-based.
In its announcement of participation in the project, Squad Mobility said it will further develop and demonstrate L6 and L7 designs as part of the GIANTS platform, and that it would receive support for components, such as batteries, drivetrain, electronics, software and solar PV, as well as R&D support from universities and research institutions in the consortium
The other LEV startups are Sweden-based Clean Motion, with a cargo model, and Philippines-based quadricycle specialist Tojo Motors.
The initiative kicked off in January. Some of the other industrial partners include French automotive component supplier Valeo Embrayages, the Dutch battery technology developer Cleantron, and specialist PV module manufacturer Solbian, based in Italy.
The project's resulting LEV platform will be analyzed for usability, manufacturability, user acceptability, environmental benefits, and business viability.
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