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Novel light electric vehicle (LEV) with extended usability – German SME seeks Swedish partner for the bilateral Swedish-German SME collaboration call

Summary

Profile Type
  • Research & Development Request
POD Reference
RDRDE20250515024
Term of Validity
15 May 2025 - 15 May 2026
Company's Country
  • Germany
Type of partnership
  • Research and development cooperation agreement
Targeted Countries
  • Sweden
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General information

Short Summary
German innovative SME with focus on sustainable mobility, light electric vehicles (LEVs), bicycle and cargo bike manufacturing is seeking a Swedish drive manufacturer or university for a project to develop a new L2e/electric cargo bike with extended usability under the AiF - Vinnova Swedish-German Bilateral SME Collaboration Call 2025. Ideal partners include tech suppliers, battery developers, or municipalities.
Full Description
A German SME develops and produces electric cargo bikes for a wide range of applications – from urban logistics and postal delivery to family transportation and municipal services. With a team of dedicated engineers, mechanics, and designers, the company focuses on local manufacturing, durable design, and social responsibility. They have delivered over 2.500 bikes to customers in more than 20 countries, including large clients such as La Poste in France and An Post in Ireland.
For their current range of two- and three-wheeled electric cargo bikes, the company offers a wide variety of box types and attachments, including refrigerated boxes, passenger modules, and waste containers. Further to this, they develop customized solutions for fleet operators. Sustainability, reparability, and long-term product value are core to the company’s design philosophy.

The SME is working on developing a new Light Electric Vehicle (LEV) in the European vehicle class L2e - i.e. a three-wheeled light vehicle for up to 2 people with a maximum top speed of 45 km/h and the maximum rated power is limited to 4 kW. The new LEV is aimed at going beyond the performance of the current cargo bikes. It is a vehicle with a more powerful motor, regenerative braking, increased load capacity and a more comprehensive usability – e.g. for rural areas or longer distances.
The cargo bikes with Pedelec drive are designed to address the future of urban mobility, which requires scalable, flexible, and climate-friendly solutions. Current regulatory and technical limitations as e.g. the 250 W / 25 km/h cap for pedelecs restrict the application of cargo bikes in certain scenarios, especially in rural or hilly regions.

The project targets a joint research and development initiative under the bilateral SME collaboration programme between Germany and Sweden, coordinated by AiF Projekt GmbH on the German side and Vinnova for Sweden. The call is open since March 2025 with a submission deadline of 18. September 2025. Expressions of Interest are required by 15. August 2025. The intended start of the project is in spring 2026.

The German SME aims to co-develop the LEV by collaborating with a Swedish technology provider, municipality or research body. Ideally, the partner is a vehicle manufacturer, automotive supplier, manufacturer of forklift trucks or a university. The collaboration will focus on the engine with an increased performance and / or the regenerative braking. The aim is to jointly push the boundaries of what LEVs can do in terms of technology but however, within the existing legal framework. The project will result in tested prototypes and pilot use cases.

The company is convinced that co-creating new vehicle categories and sharing real data from pilot use cases will enable better products, smarter policies, and new business opportunities. The R&D-project would allow them to combine deep field expertise with cutting-edge innovation.
Advantages and Innovations
The German SME combines 20 years of experience in sustainable transport design with strong engineering capabilities and an agile development process. The company’s strength lies in product customization, cooperation with municipalities and fleet operators, and its expertise in integrating industry-standard e-mobility components. The SME is active in research collaborations (e.g., for alternative fibre materials such as flax) and brings deep market knowledge about logistics, regulatory trends, and cargo bike applications.

The use of current e-cargo bikes is limited to urban areas, terrains that are not too mountainous and to manageable distances. By its expanded areas of application the innovative LEV with augmented power will create new business opportunities and contribute to the transformation towards sustainable mobility.
Technical Specification or Expertise Sought
The SME is looking for

• Drive system manufacturers (motors, batteries, controllers)
• Municipal or commercial pilot users
• Research institutions or test labs for LEV classification

With an interest in co-developing an electric engine or regenerative brakes for cargo bikes. The partner should have expertise in electric drive systems, battery technologies, or braking systems for light electric vehicles (especially in the L2e or L3e category). A strong understanding of urban mobility challenges and commitment to ecological innovation is essential.
Stage of Development
  • Concept stage
Sustainable Development Goals
  • Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
  • Goal 13: Climate Action
  • Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

Partner Sought

Expected Role of a Partner
The SME is looking for an industrial or research partner with at least 3 years of experience in developing or manufacturing components for sustainable mobility. Their role would include technical collaboration on product adaptation, co-development of prototypes, and potential support with testing and certification processes.
Type and Size of Partner
  • SME <=10
  • Other
  • SME 50 - 249
  • University
  • Big company
  • R&D Institution
  • SME 11-49
Type of partnership
  • Research and development cooperation agreement

Call details

Framework program
  • Transport (including aeronautics)
Call title and identifier
6th German-Swedish Call for Proposals for joint R&D projects by Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), AiF - Vinnova
Submission and evaluation scheme
National submission and evaluation + bilateral coordination
Coordinator required
No
Deadline for EoI
Deadline of the call
Web link to the call
https://www.vinnova.se/e/Samarbetsprojekt-for-sma-och-medelstora-foretag-Sverig…

Dissemination

Market keywords
  • 09001007 - Other transportation
  • 09004008 - Other manufacturing (not elsewhere classified)
Sector Groups Involved
  • Mobility - Transport - Automotive
Targeted countries
  • Sweden