Deadline Date: April 14, 2026
The European Commission is inviting grant applications to focus on the development and demonstration of energy-efficient Software Defined Vehicles (SDVs) that integrate innovative hardware and software solutions to optimize vehicle performance, sustainability, and user experience.
Demonstrated energy-efficient, electric Software Defined Vehicles (SDVs), with purposely developed and strategically positioned traction and chassis hardware (HW) subsystems leveraging opportunities of the software (SW) abstraction layers as the cornerstone of SDV, and overall scalable. Real life demonstration of the value of functional integration in terms of user value (ensuring travel time) and responsiveness to user and societal needs (e.g. reduced space needed for the vehicles, reduced consumption of resources, responsive to diverse user needs and abilities), charging infrastructure (vehicle-to-grid integration), cost (e.g. reducing development and integration effort, number, and specs for individual components), and energy demand (e.g. load shifting). Testing and validation of vehicle-to-grid (V2G) functionalities in real-world conditions to ensure efficient, interoperable and software-driven integration between SDVs, recharging infrastructure. Improved energy efficiency and increasing sustainability with optimal-sized batteries and long-trip capability with fast charging. Optimal integration and demonstration of HW and SW solutions along with standardised interfaces to enable affordable, mass-market EVs, such as but not limited to SDV application domains chassis/powertrain (e.g. vehicle size), body comfort and cockpit (maximizing the interior space, comfort and safety relative to the vehicle’s exterior dimensions) to achieve efficient, compact designs with minimal and sustainable material use.
The automotive sector has seen rapid advancements in component and sub-system technologies, offering significant potential when combined at the embedded system level for SDVs. This opportunity seeks to integrate high-level software functionalities with optimized hardware subsystems to improve energy efficiency, reduce resource consumption, and deliver scalable solutions suitable for mass-market vehicles. Compatibility with existing EV infrastructure and automotive standards, including ISO 15118-20, is essential. HORIZON-CL5-2026-05-D5-02 – HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions, €16,000,000, Contributions around €16,000,000.
Proposals should investigate holistic EV architecture to optimize propulsion and chassis performance, leveraging AI when beneficial and ensuring fast-charging capabilities. Hardware solutions must include standardised control and physical interfaces to accelerate innovation and software integration. System architectures should ensure compatibility between software, powertrain, and E/E systems while supporting mass-market M1 C-segment vehicles or smaller.
Software interfaces must be identified to enable energy-efficient operations and vehicle-to-grid functionalities, ensuring consistency of data across market players for scalability. Solutions should include battery management, predictive maintenance, and eco-efficient driving systems without increasing overall energy consumption. Recommendations for test protocols and safety ratings should also be provided. Projects are expected to collaborate with the Software-defined Vehicle (SDV) initiative under Chips JU and align with the European Connected and Autonomous Vehicle Alliance (ECAVA).
For more information, visit European Commission.
