ZEV-UP was presented at the IEEE PES Innovative Smart Grid Technologies (ISGT) Europe 2025 conference, held on 20–23 October in Valletta, Malta. The conference brought together researchers, industry representatives, and experts to explore this year’s theme, “Harnessing Innovation: Powering a Sustainable and Resilient Future”, with a focus on power grid modernisation and the integration of renewable and distributed energy resources.

Professor Haibo Chen from the University of Leeds represented ZEV-UP in the special session “Urban Light Electric Mobility for All: Fit-for-Purpose Electric Vehicles and Smart Infrastructures for Cities”, organised by our sister project GIANTS. The panel discussion also featured contributions from the SOLUTIONSplus project and the European Commission’s DG RTD.

The invited speakers explored three key questions:

• What are the persevering benefits of light electric vehicles (LEVs) in today’s urban environment?
• Are charging stations still an obstacle for the adoption of EVs today, or solved?
• Success factors for an affordable vehicle without compromising comfort and safety.

The session concluded with an agreement to strengthen collaboration between ZEV-UP and GIANTS through future joint activities and events, reinforcing the shared goal of collaboration and advancing sustainable urban mobility solutions across Europe.