GIANTS

Launched in 2024, the GIANTS project aims to facilitate the uptake of light vehicles (L-vehicles) suited to tackle a range of urban traffic solutions, from congestion reduction to decarbonisation and urban space reallocation.

Urban spaces are changing, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. Whereas in one hand, individual mobility will remain a strong drive, on the other hand cities are increasingly pushing for less space for parking and cars, and more space for people, public transport, and active travel modes.

This balancing act will require the adoption of policies and measures to shift from the current trend of “car-obesity” and SUV proliferation to the adoption of fit-for-city cars. It is no secret that oversized vehicles are dangerous for pedestrians, occupy a lot of our cities public space, and are more difficult to manoeuvre, a challenge only made worse by the size of many European city streets.

Introducing GIANTS

Running from January 2024 to June 2027, GIANTS (Green Intelligent Affordable New Transport Solutions) is a new Horizon Europe project which aims to capitalise on these strong motivators in the design of a new modular and upgradable vehicle platform for light vehicles (L-class vehicles) that are better suited for urban traffic solutions due to their lower purchasing and operating costs for passenger and goods transport, their lower requirements for parking space or road space taken up during operation, and overall energy and environmental benefits, as compared to other vehicles (eg N1 vehicles).

European cities must contend with the surge in oversized vehicles roaming their streets.

The GIANTS project aims to close the current gap between existing L-vehicles – a niche market lacking in mission versatility – and versatile but costly M- and N1-vehicles, which are not efficient for most urban trips, and can be oversized for cities and urban environments.

This will be achieved by introducing the GIANTS platform as a modular, scalable L-vehicle platform, suited for urban cargo and passenger transport. GIANTS will:

• reduce the cost of ownership for electric vehicles (EVs);
• provide climate-neutral solutions for urban transport that are user-friendly, energy efficient, and can improve air quality;
• and foster stronger collaboration between EU organisations and Asian and African countries by developing cost-effective, zero-emission L-type vehicles, designed to be mission-centric, highly modular, and adaptable for both advanced and emerging markets.

Living Labs

GIANTS solutions will be tested in real-life conditions will setup Living Labs across multiple locations in Europe, Africa and Asia. These Living Labs will be established in:

With its narrow cobblestone streets, Bruges stands to benefit from the transition to affordable, low-emisssion L-vehicles.

• Bruges (Belgium)
• Stockholm (Sweden)
• Kisumu (Kenya)
• Delhi (India)
• Manila (Philippines)

The project will adhere to the main objective of boosting sustainable passenger and freight transport, but with different technical and operational setups to address the unique socio-economic contexts of each testing location.

Want to keep up with the latest news? Check out the project website and follow GIANTS on LinkedIn.