Research

BETT: Battery Electric Truck Trial In 2021, Innovate UK allocated funding to showcase the potential of battery electric trucks in real-world scenarios. DAF, a distinguished truck manufacturer, spearheaded a project to deploy a fleet of twenty 19-tonne rigid electric trucks across nine public sector fleets spanning various regions of England. The primary aim was to conduct an impartial evaluation of these vehicles’ performance, generating unbiased data to enlighten the industry about the advantages and limitations of integrating electric heavy goods vehicles (HGVs). This endeavour represents a notable advancement in the transport sector, signalling a shift toward a more sustainable trajectory. With this evidence base, the industry can make informed decisions and progress toward more environmentally friendly practices. It signifies a modest stride toward a more promising and sustainable future for forthcoming generations. Project Details Location(s) United Kingdom Starting Year 2022 Cenex stepped up to this challenge when they were appointed by DAF as the independent trial monitoring and study partner. A project website was set up to disseminate live data and findings from the trial, as well as to showcase a fleet planning tool for stakeholders thinking of transitioning their HGV fleet to electric. Cenex NL supported our colleagues at Cenex with the life cycle assessment of the Battery Electric Truck Trial to understand the environmental impact over the entire life of a truck from production of raw materials through to construction, regular use and end-of-life. The assessment covered both an electric truck and its diesel equivalent to enable comparison of the difference. The Result The results offer crucial insights into the environmental impact of transitioning to electric heavy goods vehicles, focusing on emissions during production, different usage scenarios, and end-of-life scenarios. During the production phase, the electric variant emits 1.6 times more emissions compared to the diesel truck, primarily attributed to the battery manufacturing process. Emissions during the usage phase vary significantly depending on the electricity source. The standard UK grid mix results in less than half the emissions of a diesel truck, while Danish electricity can achieve nearly an 90% reduction. Conversely, a grid reliant on coal may experience a 13% increase in emissions compared to diesel. Despite the higher production emissions, the extensive distances typically covered by HGVs result in significant savings during the usage phase. With the standard UK grid mix, environmental payback can be achieved in just over a year. In summary, the analysis of emissions from electric HGVs underscores the complexities and opportunities in transitioning to sustainable transportation solutions. Despite challenges in production emissions and variability in usage emissions, the study reveals a pathway towards environmental payback. These insights inform strategic decisions aimed at fostering a greener future in the heavy transportation sector. Visit website Preview Only

GEMINI: Greening European Mobility through cascading innovation INItiatives At the heart of the GEMINI Project lies a commitment to fostering innovation and to accelerate the transition towards climate neutrality in mobility solutions. Goal 11 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals advocates for access to safe, affordable, and sustainable transport systems. Nowadays, transport plays a significant role on air pollution and is one of the major sources of greenhouse gas emissions and is the only sector in the EU with increased Green House Gas (GHG) emissions compared to 1990. The promotion of sustainable and innovative mobility solutions can help towards reducing GHG and carbon footprints, improving air quality, and achieving climate goals. Project Details Project Partners 43 Location(s) Finland, Denmark, Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, France, Italy, Portugal Starting Year 2023 Duration 4 Years The GEMINI Project (2023-2026 “Greening European Mobility through cascading innovation Initiatives” is a Horizon Europe funded project with 43 partners led by the Urban Electric Mobility Initiative (UEMI). To accelerate the transition towards climate neutrality, GEMINI aims to foster widespread adoption of sustainable shared mobility solutions. To achieve this, the project will develop and test innovative business models for New Mobility Services (NMS) such as shared connected automated vehicles and shared mobility public transport through public-private partnerships. The NMS business models will be demonstrated in ten European Cities (Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Munich, Leuven, Ljubljana, Paris-Saclay, Porto and Turin). Additionally, GEMINI will create digital tools and platforms that accommodate various mobility services, promoting collaboration and integration within the mobility sector. The project will actively engage stakeholders in the co-creation process, introducing Mobility as a Commons (MaaC) and incentivizing behavioural shifts and user acceptance of these new mobility options.   Furthermore, GEMINI will formulate policy recommendations to enable the scaling up and replication of successful mobility solutions. By aligning with Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs) and urban mobility planning frameworks, the project aims to contribute to a comprehensive policy package that guides and incentivizes future mobility innovations. The GEMINI project envisions fostering sustainable, accessible, and affordable shared mobility solutions that contribute to a safer and more environmentally friendly urban mobility landscape. Objectives Develop and test sustainable business models for New Mobility Services (NMS) to increase shared mobility solutions (MaaS and MaaC) for various user groups, including enterprises, families, and tourists. Create digital enablers, including collaboration platforms and multimodal MaaS solutions, to integrate and facilitate a wide range of mobility services. Actively involve stakeholders in the co-creation of new mobility options and integrate Social Innovation practices to incentivize behavioural changes and user acceptance. Formulate policy recommendations to support the scaling up and replicability of successful mobility solutions, contributing to the development and implementation of SUMPs and urban mobility planning frameworks. Cenex NL key contributions The team plays a vital role in developing policy recommendations and technology roadmaps to accelerate the deployment of innovative mobility services. Through collaboration with local authorities in twinning cities, these roadmaps will align with the fast-track deployment of shared mobility trends in the short and medium term. Additionally, Cenex NL will contribute to the development of the Handbook consolidating the project’s learnings and offering practical guidance to cities and citizens across Europe. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101103801. Visit website Preview Only Project Partners

eBRT2030: Electric Bus Rapid Transit 2030 The last five years have seen a rapid expansion of Zero Emission Buses in the European Union. From the very first pilots in Europe towards grand scale implementation in various countries: the ZE Bus market has matured rapidly. In the Netherlands without a doubt the National Agreement (BAZEB) has contributed to this growth. Besides a clear political ambition, economic incentives have also contributed: in contracts lasting at least 15 years: battery-electric buses would outrun their diesel equivalents in terms of operating costs overcoming the higher investment costs. Another gamechanger for Public Transport is the development of Bus Rapid Transit systems. A system with vehicles large enough to accommodate for large groups of travellers, without the infrastructural complexity and maintenance costs of rail bound systems. Project Details Project Partners 45 Location(s) Spain, Netherlands, Greece, Czechia, Italy, Starting Year 2023 Duration 4 Years Download Brochure In the eBRT2030 project a consortium of 45 international partners work together on a new system which combines the latest battery ZE Bus technologies with the newest developments on Bus Rapid Transit systems. The idea is to develop a system of systems that can be replicated in other European cities and other parts of the world. Objectives The eBRT2030 project will create a New Generation of advanced full electric, urban and peri-urban European Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) enhanced with novel automation and connectivity functionalities, to support sustainable urban transport by reducing cost/km/ passenger, TCO, GHG and pollutant emissions and traffic congestion. The eBRT2030 project is developed through three main lines: The development of technology-focused key innovative solutions for BRT, both at system and subsystem level, at level of vehicle, infrastructure, operation, and IoT connectivity 7 demos of BRT system innovative solutions in real-operation, both city- and operator-led and BRT system-focused, or focused on specific technology innovation at subsystem level that are ready for BRT operations, in Europe and outside Europe (in Latin America and East-Africa), and fully integrated in the whole urban mobility scenario The definition of a new European concept of Bus Rapid Transit for year 2030, benefitting of evaluation, multiplication and replication of the real-operation test of innovations, that improve the performance of the whole European urban bus system. All cities in eBRT2030 already have BRT lines in operation or will be launched within 2023, and strongly committed to innovate with electrification, automation, connectivity technology tailored to the characteristics of European bus operations Cenex NL key contributions Cenex NL takes the lead to develop a global evaluation framework and an impact assessment model. We will also write a report on an operational tool with TCO, LCA and socio-economic optimization. Once the demonstration projects have taken place, we will produce a local assessment of the individual eBRT demonstrators. The global assessment and lesson learnt that will be produced are to be used to create a replication strategy. Cenex NL will also play a role in creating technical training material that can be used by others to implement eBRT systems. We will contribute to delivering these trainings, to disseminating knowledge and will actively communicate about the learnings of this project. Visit website Please select a map Project Partners Alstom, Applus IDIADA, Arriva, ASSTRA, AVL, CERTH, Cenex Nederland, Connexxion, Consorci Centre de Recerca Matemàtica, Dopravni podnik hl. m. Prahy, Ebusco, Elektroline, Enel X, ERTICO, FACTUAL Consulting, Fraunhofer, GRUPO ETRA, Heliox, ICCS, IRIZAR e-mobility, IETT, IVECO BUS, K2, Nemi Mobility Solutions, NTUA (National Technical University of Athens), OASA, Operadora Distrital De Transporte SAS (ODT), POLIS, RINA, Rupprecht Consult, Scania, Semitan, ŠKODA, Stadtwerke München, START ROMAGNA, SYSTRA, TECNALIA, TEMSA, trolley:motion, Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB), Trivector Traffic, UITP, University of Bologna, UPC (Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya), UPCE (University of Pardubice), UEMI, Volvo Buses, VTT (Technical Research Centre of Finland), VUB (Vrije Universiteit Brussel)

AeroSolfd: Fast Track to Cleaner Urban Air After lowering carbon emissions from vehicles, the next big challenge is to reduce NOx and particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) emissions, residue of toxic particles coming from brake and tire wear and/or engines. Especially in semi-closed environments PM builds up to unhealthy levels. Despite the increasing share of electric vehicles on the road, a large part of the vehicles globally will still be running on petrol and gas in the coming decades. On top of that, all vehicles, including electric and hydrogen ones will continue to emit non-exhaust PM. Project Details Project Partners 17 Location(s) Spain, Bulgaria, Italy, Portugal, Finland, Israel, and Switzerland. Starting Year 2022 Duration 3 Years Download Brochure A true zero emission road transport requires the adoption of retrofit solutions to capture emissions from existing fleets. And to prepare for a circular future Cenex NL delivers Life Cycle Analyses for the retrofit solutions. Considerations: The Euro 7 standards proposed by the EU Commission in 2022 are the first worldwide emission standards to move beyond regulating exhaust pipe emissions and set additional limits for particulate emissions from brakes and rules on microplastic emissions from tyres. These rules will apply to all vehicles, including electric ones. Particulate matter emissions contributes to air, soil and water pollution and has serious health consequences particularly in semi-enclosed spaces such as bus stops, tunnels and train and metro stations. Project brief AeroSolfd is a Horizon Europe project focused on developing effective retrofit filter systems to have a positive impact on health and the environment. The project will produce affordable, adaptive and environmentally friendly products that will reduce the harmful emissions of particulate matter at the exhaust, through brake discs and pollution in (semi-) enclosed spaces. A consortium of partners from eight European countries, led by MANN+HUMMEL, has joined forces to make a quick deployment of these filters possible. This way, people in Europe and beyond can already benefit from even more environmentally friendly mobility by 2025. During the three-year project period (2022-2025), the effectiveness of the AeroSolfd solutions will be demonstrated in practical situations in eight different European example cities: Valladolid (Spain), Sofia (Bulgaria), Ancona and Fermo (Italy), Lisbon (Portugal), Rovaniemi (Finland), Haifa (Israel), and Biel (Switzerland). Objectives The goal of AeroSolfd is to develop three types of affordable retrofit filters in an accelerated trajectory: Filter against the emission of NOx and toxic particulate matter at the exhaust; Filter to capture particulate matter as a result of wear of brakes; Filter to capture particulate matter in semi-enclosed spaces; AeroSolfd has a special focus on creating public and political awareness about the harmful environmental and health effects of exhaust and brake emissions. The project also provides recommendations for policy makers on developing incentives that contribute to the accelerated deployment of these retrofit technologies. Cenex NL key contributions Cenex NL is involved in both product design and evaluation phases. Our team contributes to defining a framework to later assess the sustainability of these retrofit  technologies. We will also perform Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) for each product line to understand their  the ecological footprint of these new products is and to make recommendations for further improvements. This project has received funding from the Horizon Europe research and innovation program of the European Union under grant agreement No. 101056661. Visit website Preview Only Project Partners

NextETruck The transport sector is the only sector in the EU with increased Green House Gas (GHG) emissions compared to 1990. As the commercial freight sector is expected to see an increase in transport volume toward 2050, while the EU set a net-zero target in Green Deal, zero emission transport adaption needs to be accelerated. Medium Duty Vehicles (7.5t – 16t GVW) contribute around 25% of CO2 emissions from all vehicles >7.5t GVW worldwide. This vehicle segment is expected to grow as logistic flows in and out of urban areas increase due to increasing demand from retail, business and households. These urban areas are also the first to establish zero emission zones, increasing the demand for zero emission medium duty vehicles. Project Details Project Partners 19 Location(s) Turkey, Spain and the United Kingdom Starting Year 2022 Duration 4 Years Download Brochure To address this challenge, the Horizon Europe funded NextETRUCK project aims to develop the next generation of battery electric Medium Duty Vehicle holistic, innovative, affordable, competitive, and synergetic as explained in the figure below. Offering a minimum energy efficiency increase of 10% compared to existing high-end electric vehicles and a wide range of use cases and business models. The project consists of a consortium of 19 partners from 8 countries, runs from July 2022 till 31 December 2025, and includes three real-case demonstrations in Utrecht, Istanbul and Barcelona.   Objectives The overarching objective of the NextETRUCK project is to play a pioneering role in the decarbonization of the medium duty vehicle fleets, aiming for a significant leap of knowledge at component, vehicle, fleet, infrastructure and ecosystem levels. There are six concrete objectives: ZEV concepts tailored for regional medium freight haulage (N2 & N3) with at least 10% energy efficiency increase compared to existing highest-end benchmark EVs of the same size category and operating for similar mission profiles. Advanced vehicle Digital Twin, as well as digital tools for fleet management and virtual integration of ZEV Vehicle architecture design tool for optimized design, safety, sizing and integration of powertrain components, leading to TCO reduction Efficient fast charging concept and infrastructure demonstrator that is cost-efficient, flexible and compliant with various business practices and fleet operation structures. Demonstrators in three different unique real-world cases where the concepts’ feasibility and superiority to the existing systems are validated for a range of at least 200 km daily operation over a period of at least 6 months. New business models to increase the end user acceptance and foster market uptake of the NextETRUCK solutions. Cenex NL key contributions Our contribution to the NextETRUCK project will be by leading the TCO assessment task and providing the framework together with our partner Cenex UK. Further, Cenex NL will lead the development of a web-based fleet decarbonisation strategy tool to help commercial vehicle fleets transition to battery electric vehicles with a focus on trucks and vans. Cenex NL will also support the evaluation and impact assessment, including the upscaling strategy. Newsletter Stay updated about all news, events and exciting info from NextETruck by signing up for the bi-annual newsletter: https://nextetruck.eu/newsletter/ NextETRUCK has received funding from the European Union Horizon Innovation Actions programme under grant agreement No 101056740. The UK participants in this project are co-funded by the UK. Visit website Preview Only Project Partners

SESA: Smart Energy Solutions for Africa Africa is the fasted growing continent on the planet, measured both in GDP as in population, which historically is accompanied with a growth in energy consumption. With an eye on the Paris Agreement and COP26 it is clear the energy should be Low or even Zero Emission. However, it is important this does not stifle the economic growth allowing millions to climb out of poverty. With this in mind the EU funded the SESA project that aims at mitigating climate change while improving access to sustainable energy under affordable, reliable conditions. Project Details Project Partners 32 Location(s) Kenya, Ghana, Malawi, Morocco, South Africa, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda and Tanzania. Starting Year 2021 Duration 4 Years Funder EU Horizon Europe 2020 Download Brochure SESA is a four-year (2021-2025) EU H2020 funded R&D project designed to combine innovative energy access solutions for a range of applications in both urbanised and rural contexts in Africa. These solutions will include decentralised renewables (solar photovoltaics), innovative energy storage systems (including second life batteries), waste-to-energy systems (biomass to biogas), smart microgrids, (micro) mobility solutions, climate-proofing, resilience and adaptation, and rural internet access. SESA focusses on testing, validating and replicating those energy innovations through co-developed demonstration actions in 9 sites across the continent (1 Living Lab for testing, 4 for validation and 4 for replication). The collaborative project is the result of a strong partnership between leading European and African universities, research centres, industry actors, local governments, knowledge and implementation organizations and networks. Objectives The main goal of SESA is to support a diversity of affordable solutions that help provide access to reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy services for all, creating new business opportunities and developing concepts that can directly contribute to a low-carbon development. It further provides policy makers with recommendations aiming at creating a favourable regulatory environment to ensure long-term impacts of the solutions developed. In addition, a key deliverable for the project is the SESA Toolbox, which will contain materials relating to the following main building blocks: Impact assessment Capacity building Business plans and models Innovations tested in demonstration actions Design, operations and management for different solutions Financing & funding options Policy support Cenex NL’s key contributions Cenex NL leads the work package responsible for the development of the key repository of the project, the so called “SESA Toolbox”, and the evaluation of the project results available in the toolbox. Our team will be involved in three tasks: Build a scalable and harmonised toolbox for advanced implementation, management and operation strategies of efficient sustainable energy solutions. Develop an evaluation framework based on the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology to quantify and compare the environmental impacts of the proposed solutions. Assess the impact of the solutions developed in at least five the demonstration and validation projects using the framework developed in the previous task. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation progamme under grant agreement No 101037141 Visit website Preview Only Project Partners

SuSMo: Sustainable Shared Mobility With the goal of decreasing carbon emission, many cities have introduced or are planning to introduce zero-emission shared mobility services. These new shared mobility services act as disruptors of the status quo and require a systemic change to the interaction between city transport planners, mobility operators and citizens in order to provide a coordinated and zero-carbon service. European city authorities seek new and innovative ways of integrating these shared services with existing public transport modes, payment, route planning and booking systems. Project Details Project Partners 10 Location(s) Stockholm, Sofia, Bologna Starting Year 2019 Funder Climate-KIC   Project brief SuSMo (Sustainable Shared Mobility) works with city partners (Stockholm, Bologna and Sofia) and experts in the transport sector, to develop tools to change the way we implement shared mobility systems across Europe. Funded by Climate KIC (Knowledge Innovation Community) SuSMo was launched in 2019 and since then has worked together with city representatives and private sector shared mobility providers to establish the key needs and priorities for the effective deployment of sustainable shared mobility.   Objectives The SuSMo project aims to catalyse systemic change by instigating behaviour change, enabling connections and collaborations, and removing barriers through policy change. In collaboration with the city partners and experts, research into these areas has identified the following main pathways: Behavioural change Policy, Regulation and procurement Private Sector Engagement Evaluation of shared mobility impact During the first two years of the project, the SuSMo team developed tools and learning materials to aid cities in their planning and strategic thinking for the implementation of shared mobility. In 2021, the final year of the project, we work together with cities to validate and disseminate the SuSMo outcomes. More information about the SUSMO learning materials can be found here. Are you considering implementing shared mobility in your city, or you are interested in estimating the environmental and societal benefits of your shared mobility systems? We are looking for cities to test the SuSMo toolkit that may have the answers you need. Feel free to get in touch! Cenex NL key contributions Cenex NL acts as the project coordinator and oversees the stakeholder management and dissemination activities. We are also responsible for exploiting the project results (SuSMo toolkit) by developing and delivering a set of services including workshops and trainings to assist cities ineffective implementation of shared mobility. Preview Only

LEVIS: Advanced Light materials for sustainable Electrical Vehicles by Integration of eco-design and circular economy Strategies The transition to sustainable personal mobility is a hot topic in transport decarbonisation. The automotive sector is the second largest contributor to CO2emissions globally. Even though car manufacturers push forward the development of electric vehicles (EVs), the current market penetration is still relatively low. Developing lightweight materials is an essential step to increase EV adaptation since reduced weight results in improved vehicle efficiency and increased range. Project Details Project Partners 13 Starting Year 2021 Duration 3 Years Project brief LEVIS is a three-year (2021-2024) R&D project on lightweight materials for electric vehicle applications and is funded by the EU H2020 funding program. Thirteen partners from the automotive and material industries and leading research institutes across Europe have teamed up to develop, demonstrate and validate lightweight components and/or structures used in EVs. LEVIS will deploy multi-material solutions based on fibre reinforced thermoplastic composites integrated with metal. The lightweight materials will be used in three demonstrators: a suspension control arm; a battery holding set (2 components) and a cross-car beam. Objectives By adopting eco-design and circular economy principles across the life-cycle stages of the EV components, the project aims at: – Improving raw material, energy use and cost efficiency by using cost-effective and scalable manufacturing technologies – Reducing EV components’ weight yet maintaining a high structural integrity and reliability The three demonstrators will be used to showcase the benefits and competitiveness of the developed technologies and the environmental impact of the LEVIS solutions will be analysed throughout the components’ life cycle. Cenex NL’s key contributions Cenex NL is involved in both product design and evaluation phases. Our team will develop a methodology that integrates eco-design in the material and process selection at the early stages of the demonstrator development. Cenex NL also leads the project evaluation and will assess the environmental and cost performance of the proposed solutions against their current benchmarks by conducting Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) and Life Cycle Costing (LCC). These assessments will be used to ensure that the material choices, manufacturing technologies and proposed end-of-life processes will result in an overall improved environmental performance while being economically feasible. Project Partners

H2ME2 H2ME will demonstrate the breadth and depth of the commitment to hydrogen-fuelled road transport as a pan-European solution to the need to have viable, competitive, alternatives to fossil fuels. It is one of the most ambitious coordinated hydrogen deployment projects attempted in Europe to date and will produce recommendations and identify any gaps that may prevent full commercialisation, as well as collating results to support future investments. Project Details Starting Year 2019 Duration 4 Years Objectives Deploy and operate 49 new HRS and 1400 FCEVs and monitor their performance in real-world use. Understand customer attitudes to the developing networks in each country. Create a pan-European network which will be the world’s largest single deployment of HRS. Deliverables H2ME will significantly expand the European hydrogen vehicles fleet and in so doing, will confirm the technical and commercial readiness of vehicles, fuelling stations and hydrogen production techniques. Visit the website here.

CleanMobileEnergy Across North West Europe, cities are increasingly investing in renewable energy production and charging infrastructure for electric vehicles. However, the control systems for energy generation, energy utilisation, energy storage and electric vehicle charging work are currently separate from each other. This results in high costs and CO2 emissions due to energy inefficiencies. Electric vehicles are mostly powered by fossil fuel generated electricity. At the same time, renewable energy is inefficiently utilised because production and demand are not synchronised across the city. Project Details Project Partners 10 Location(s) Arnhem, Nottingham, London, Schwäbisch Gmünd Starting Year 2017 Duration 4 Years Download Brochure The project CleanMobilEnergy will integrate various renewable energy sources, storage devices, electric vehicles and optimisation of energy consumption through one unique smart energy management system. The development of this intelligent Energy Management System (iEMS) will increase the economic value of renewable energy and significantly reduce CO2 emissions. The iEMS will assure the smart integration through interoperability based on open standards for data flows and analysis tools.CleanMobilEnergy will make it possible for renewable energy sources to be used locally, so electric vehicles can be charged with 100 % renewable energy offered at an optimum price. Electrical energy from the grid will only be required when prices are low or renewable energy sources are not available, the iEMS monitors and optimises the system 24hours a day, 7 days a week. One generic transnational iEMS will be adapted to the 4 specific City Pilots, in Arnhem, London, Schwäbisch Gmünd and Nottingham. These pilots range from small towns to large cities. The 4 City pilots cover different types of renewable energy, storage and electric vehicles as well as different contexts and diverse city environments. The City Pilots will utilise different state-of-the-art storage media in various environments, which are representative of North West Europe and are easily replicated in other cities across Europe. Specifically in London and Nottingham, for example, electric vehicles themselves will be used to power the buildings and depot by using innovative bi-directional chargers controlled by the integrated energy management system iEMS. In Arnhem, on the other hand, renewable energy will be supplied to ships in the harbour adjacent to its industrial area. These pilots were chosen to represent a wide range of city sizes and environments, which are essential to developing a widely applicable system for future implementation across Europe. Visit the project website here. Preview Only Project Partners