GIANTS

“GIANTS” Project: Green, Smart, and Affordable New Transportation Solutions

Virtual Vehicle Research GmbH coordinates GIANTS, an EU-funded research project that addresses the challenge of passenger transport in cities and suburbs by developing a cost-effective, zero-emission vehicle platform for light vehicles (Type L). The goal is to build these vehicles using standardized modules, known as “technology building blocks,” which are part of the GIANTS platform. The GIANTS platform features interchangeable batteries, a standardized vehicle control system, and integrated solar modules, enabling the development of various vehicle models tailored to the specific requirements of urban transportation in both established and emerging markets.

Graz, Austria, March 23, 2026 – The EU project “GIANTS” aims to bridge the current gap between existing light vehicles for niche applications, which lack versatility, and versatile but cost-intensive M1 and N1 vehicles, which are oversized and overengineered. This will be achieved through the introduction of the GIANTS platform as a modular, scalable L-vehicle platform designed for
task-oriented urban freight and passenger transport in both emerging and advanced markets. Vision: An economical, zero-emission L-vehicle platform The GIANTS project addresses the challenge of passenger transport in cities and suburbs by developing an economical, zero-emission L-vehicle platform. Such vehicles will be designed to be task-centric, highly modular, and adaptable for both
advanced and emerging markets.

The modular design of the GIANTS platform will simplify the refurbishment of used vehicles or vehicle parts and facilitate end-of-life recycling, with the overarching goal of achieving zero emissions over the product’s entire lifecycle. GIANTS will promote stronger collaboration between EU organizations and Asian and African countries, thereby ensuring the applicability and adaptability of the developed systems in diverse global contexts.

Demonstration Sites in Europe, Africa, and Asia
As part of the project, living labs will be established at demonstration sites in Europe, Africa, and Asia to demonstrate the practical applicability of the GIANTS solutions. These labs serve as real-world test environments where mobility users and providers jointly develop and test e-mobility innovations. The locations include Barcelona, Gothenburg, Kisumu, Delhi, Pune, and Manila, with different configurations tailored to local socioeconomic conditions. The labs aim to improve sustainable passenger and freight transport by testing various GIANTS configurations for passenger and freight transport under real-world conditions.

Current project results:
As the consortium reported at the GIANTS General Assembly (GA) in October 2025, the GIANTS platform is now fully specified and is currently being evaluated. As the project enters its second half, activities are now focused on the construction and testing of demonstration vehicles in living labs. At these locations, performance, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability are being validated under various operating conditions to ensure that the GIANTS solution meets both environmental and economic requirements worldwide. Additional results from the GIANTS General Assembly:

• A survey was conducted with over 300 participants to identify the needs and requirements of stakeholders, with a focus on traffic safety, infrastructure requirements, integration into mobility ecosystems, and fleet management.
• Development of an innovative “Mission Suitability & Social Index” (MSSI) to summarize stakeholder needs regarding mobility systems that integrate fuel-efficient electric vehicles.
• In addition, an “E-Motion Advanced Platform” was established to translate participants’ expectations from the MSSI into quantifiable high-level technical requirements.
• Components and interfaces of the scalable GIANTS electric powertrain were specified.
• A cross-domain simulation platform was implemented to simulate the driving and system behavior of GIANTS vehicles under various operating conditions (vehicle types, location, environmental conditions, battery configuration, etc.).

GIANTS “Traffic Safety” Study:
As part of the GIANTS project and Work Package 4 (WP4), VIRTUAL VEHICLE conducted a user study to gain insights into the safe and efficient design of in-vehicle touchscreens. Since fuel-efficient light electric vehicles (LEVs) are increasingly relying on small touch interfaces, it is essential to understand how interface design decisions affect driver distraction and driving performance.

The study addressed two key design challenges:

• Fundamentals of interaction: Investigating how button size, finger selection (stabilized thumb vs. index finger of the free hand), and road complexity affect driver safety and performance.
• Adaptive concepts: Evaluation of a dynamic display concept that manages limited screen space by automatically hiding the gear selector display (PRND) while driving, allowing function buttons to be displayed in a larger and more accessible format.

Read more about the GIANTS “Traffic Safety” study here in the GIANTS Newsletter No. 2: https://giants-project.eu/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GIANTS-Newsletter-2-FINAL-2.pdf 

https://giants-project.eu