Advanced digital development tools to accelerate the development of software defined vehicles that enable zero-emission mobility (2ZERO Partnership)

Advanced digital tools can enable the mobility industry to efficiently develop and operate software-defined electric vehicles that are key for achieving sustainable mobility solutions. Core functions of the electric powertrain or vehicle dynamics are primarily enabled and controlled via software. Function updates are at the fingertip of the end-users to offer maximum customer benefits and satisfaction. Such next generation modelling and simulation tools & methods empowering e.g., software-driven development, automated engineering as well as credible simulation pave the way to make mobility safer, more sustainable and more comfortable in a new way.

Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following outcomes:

• Design and validate digital tools for the automotive industry for enabling best possible combination of digital development and digital operation for innovative zero-emission solutions enabling up to 20% energy consumption reduction by e.g. deploying always latest software-driven energy saving functions becoming available during vehicles entire lifetime and to ensure performance, security, safety and reliability by design.
• Increase speed of innovation by optimising the utilisation of data (engineering, operational, infrastructure data etc.) in an effective and efficient way (synthesis and utilisation of data).
• Contribute to the development of solutions for reliable ‘virtual’ decision-making based on digital twins and for enhancement of the credibility of simulations based on process and artefact quality measures, as well as KPI-driven quality assurance and traceability.
• Method and tools for reliable modelling and simulation of total vehicle systems including its environment.
• Significantly enhance the capabilities in design, development and application of “software-defined” EV and thus strengthening the competitiveness of the European automotive industry.
• Improve product quality, improve decision making efficiency, quality, and exploiting operation data and thus contributing to the reduction of the overall development time.

The data driven development of software-defined functions and systems of EVs (e.g. in context of battery and e-motor control, predictive eco-driving functions or control of vehicle dynamics, as well as comfort) requires the use of improved tools across domains (e.g. mechanical, dynamic, electrical, and acoustical) and scales (from component to vehicle in a mobility scenario) as well as a deep understanding of the vehicle operation in real life.

However, the current development and design framework does not allow such complex software-defined functions and systems to be addressed in an integrated manner, resulting often in solutions optimised for a specific operating point that is only partially representative of real use conditions and lacking the resource-efficient reuse of these solutions across multiple vehicle platforms. Moreover, the development of vehicles that are constantly capable to adapt during lifetime (e.g. by remote programming capabilities) is also not sufficiently enabled. As such the scope of this call topic is expected to go far beyond today’s product development as addressed in previous Horizon 2020 topics (e.g. H2020-GV-2018 “Virtual product development and production of all types of electrified vehicles and components”).

In order to fully exploit the potential of software-defined EV functions and vehicles, an advanced dedicated digital development framework is needed. Proposals under this topic are expected to address all of the following aspects:

• Design and validation of robust digital tools to efficiently and effectively develop complex EVs that are increasingly software-defined.
• Advanced methods for development of trustworthy (24/7 available, secure, safe) software-defined EV solutions.
• Promoting the use and adaption of conceptional tools and demonstrate integration into development frameworks for virtual approval (early demonstrators) that are applicable to all EV types considered in 2ZERO (from L-category to Heavy Duty vehicles).
• Concepts enabling the feedback to and use of all types of data (e.g. engineering data, real-life operational data of EVs) in the product development of software-defined vehicle functions including automated update of the applied digital tools and models.

Close collaboration is expected between selected projects under this topic and modalities need to be outlines in the proposal.

This topic implements the co-programmed European Partnership on ‘Towards zero emission road transport’ (2ZERO). As such, projects resulting from this topic will be expected to report on the results to the European Partnership ‘Towards zero emission road transport’ (2ZERO) in support of the monitoring of its KPIs.

Activities are expected to achieve TRL 4-5 by the end of the project – see General Annex B.