ZEV-UP recently participated in the 9th edition of the RTR Conference in Brussels, contributing to Session 24, “Novel concepts for frugal, safe and smart vehicle design“, moderated by Guido Sacchetto (European Commission) and Oliver Lah (Technische Universität Berlin). The session brought together ZEV-UP alongside sister project GIANTS and SALIENT to explore how frugal vehicle design concepts can support the transition to zero-emission mobility.

Emin Aliyev, ZEV-UP Project Coordinator, presented the project’s approach a frugal, zero-emission mobility and the three Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) variants designed for both passenger and commercial use that ZEV-UP is developing. The presentation focused on the project innovations in both vehicle design and charging, which include a scalable chassis, a modular platform, and a swappable battery system.

The session provided a valuable opportunity to exchange insights with other EU-funded projects. SALIENT, represented by Raquel Ledo, shared the project results, including significant advances in lightweighting, crash performance, recyclability, and energy savings in manufacturing. Nicola Contartese presented the GIANTS project, adding further perspectives on smart and safe vehicle innovation.

Together, the three projects addressed key questions shaping the future of vehicle design: the concept of frugality, the growing role of digital twins in validation and optimisation, and the challenge of maintaining high safety standards in smaller, lighter vehicles.

The RTR Conference 2026 offered ZEV-UP a unique platform to showcase its progress and strengthen connections with the broader sustainable mobility community. The project will continue building on these conversations as it advances towards the next stages of vehicle development.

If you missed the session, you can watch the recording here.

Photo credits: RTR Conference – Alohafred