#WeDrive2Zero: Interview with Matej Zajc, Pillar 2 Co-Leader

Please briefly introduce yourself.

With pleasure! I am Matej Zajc, full professor at the University of Ljubljana (UL), Faculty of Electrical Engineering. My research interests are in domain of Information and Communication Technologies, enabling the green energy transition. With my team, we focus on digitalisation of the grid, advanced digital platforms and virtual power plants, V2X technologies and services enabling e-mobility. Research activities are related to tools, models, digital twins and advanced AI combined with user-centred approaches. Currently, I am fully involved in the 2Zero project EV4EU, where I lead the UL research team, developing solutions for V2X integration of EVs in the Smart grid and local flexibility markets.

Why did you apply as 2Zero co-leader?

Because I firmly believe in the power of collaboration. Indeed, the transition to e-mobility needs vehicle to grid integration (VGI), and therefore a closer cooperation of the mobility sector with the grid actors. This also demands better alignment between academia and industry partners to create globally competitive research ecosystems for advanced solution development that will result in enablers for a massive integration of EVs.
Co-leading 2Zero Pillar 2 (“Integration of the BEVs into the energy system and related charging infrastructure“), as an academic, is a great chance to get closer contacts with the automotive industry, allowing me not only to follow current trends but also to co-create future directions of EU research.

Can you provide a brief overview of the technology area “Battery management and integration”?

This area is a central part of the Pillar 2 activities. Batteries are a vital component of BEVs, as you can imagine; as electricity is powering e-mobility, the batteries used in EVs also play a central role for grid balancing. It is impressive to look at how much battery technologies have evolved, in terms of energy density capacity and charging speeds.
This technology area encompasses four projects devoted to battery technologies and battery management systems, namely, InnoBMS, iBattMan, S4MILE and ARISE.
The four projects aim to enhance the safety, efficiency, and integration of electric vehicle technologies.
InnoBMS focuses on developing a situationally aware Battery Management System (BMS) that dynamically responds to actual battery conditions, thereby improving battery life and resource utilisation. iBattMan aims to create an innovative, modular, and scalable BMS applicable across various vehicle types, promoting safe, reliable, and secure operation while fostering a competitive European supply chain, with the goal to optimise battery performance and lifespan.
S4MILE seeks to facilitate the large-scale adoption of electric vehicles by integrating next-generation solid-state batteries into simplified vehicle structures through a disruptive “virtual” module-to-chassis concept, reducing complexity and cost. Meanwhile, ARISE is dedicated to developing a fourth-generation high-performance solid-state lithium-ion battery with an integrated, expandable cell-to-chassis design, complemented by an advanced thermal management system and smart BMS, optimised for next-generation solid-state battery electric vehicles.

Why is this technology area so critical and how does it mirror the strategic vision and priorities of 2Zero?

This area tackles several important goals from Pillar 2, focused on the integration of battery electric vehicles into the energy system and the related charging infrastructure. The projects involved are working to improve battery systems by boosting energy density, power density, and overall efficiency, while also trying to bring down costs. They focus on developing modular, flexible battery setups that can be easily adjusted to suit different vehicles platforms.
Another major priority is Smart Battery Management Systems, enabling advanced balancing, predictive management, and optimisation of battery health and performance over time. On top of that, the research dives into critical aspects of battery integration into vehicles, including the positioning of battery packs, the design of cooling systems, and the development of innovative vehicle architectures.
Fast and ultra-fast charging is also a hot topic, with careful attention to minimising battery degradation and extending service life.

Are there any relevant success stories that demonstrate high impact or replicability?

At the moment, these four projects clearly stand out as promising initiatives pushing forward key innovations in battery management systems and electric vehicle technologies. Some have already delivered meaningful results, while others are still in the early stages and have not yet produced concrete outcomes. Still, all of them are actively moving ahead, and their work is expected to lead to high-impact and hopefully replicable solutions.
The InnoBMS project has already made great progress in developing the next generation of BMS technology. It introduced a simulation-based method to better predict battery lifetime, using advanced control strategies to improve the accuracy of State of Health and State of Charge estimates. One of the project’s most notable achievements is the successful validation of a Battery Digital Twin that can monitor battery aging in real time, helping enable predictive maintenance and improved safety. Another key result was demonstrating real-time cloud communication with the BMS, which opens the door to continuous remote monitoring and smarter, cloud-assisted battery management. To make all this possible, the team also put in place a Data Collection Protocol to ensure consistent, traceable data throughout the project.
The iBattMan project is also making steady progress on a smart, modular, and connected BMS. Its design combines local control with edge computing, making it capable of running complex algorithms, like advanced battery state estimation, in line with today’s automotive needs. The system is scalable and includes core components such as the Cell Monitoring Controller and an AUTOSAR-compliant Battery Management Controller. The project has already defined its initial safety goals and functional verification plans, and is now working to finalise system details as data from battery packs provided by partners becomes available.
Other very promising ones, such as S4MILE and ARISE, are still in the early stages and concrete results are not yet available, but I am looking forward to get to know what they will achieve!

Can you identify some battery-related research gaps which are not sufficiently covered by current and upcoming projects?

I believe that projects in this technology area are already addressing many battery-related topics outlined in our SRIA. As I mentioned previously, battery system efficiency, modularity and integration, battery degradation for different use-cases are all being worked on …
The upcoming calls will also cover the thermal management of the battery system and reduced fire safety risks associated with Electric Vehicles. Anyway, I believe we could stress more topics related to Software Defined Vehicle (SDV) and advanced battery management systems, taking into account users’ expectations and needs. SDV is, in fact, currently a leading theme in our field – and it will remain so in the near future!
Another important dimension is, of course, the environmental impact of battery production, the consumption of (critical) raw materials, circularity of some of the batteries components. Several topics which have been touched upon by the Batteries for Europe Partnership and by the 2Zero Partnership (across various pillars), but should be further investigated. Reducing resources consumption, while providing an improved experience for the user remains largely a challenge.

What should be addressed in FP10 and why?

Beyond e-mobility, we need to understand that batteries are one of the key enablers of society’s digitalisation, where smartphones might be the most visible example. What benefits will batteries in vehicles bring to society? Batteries play a crucial role in Europe’s transition to electrification and a sustainable economy, underpinning the broader goals of decarbonisation and innovation. They directly contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The 2Zero partnership should step-up its efforts to push electromobility, with a special focus on grid integration. Batteries are not just energy storage anymore: they are becoming a real asset for the stabilisation of the energy grid, which shows just how central electromobility is to the future of our energy systems, as well. Supporting new technologies such as artificial intelligence, digital twins, and smart digital platforms will be key to helping vehicles and the grid “talk” to each other in real time and work as one system.
The holistic optimisation of battery systems, from cell chemistry to full vehicle integration, is also of key importance for the mobility sector. A true cell-to-body approach can only be achieved through the seamless functional integration of battery development (including cells and BMS) with vehicle engineering. To realise this, Europe must leverage its strong automotive engineering expertise and align it closely with the rapidly advancing capabilities in cell research, development, and industrialisation. In particular, this combined functional development approach must be reinforced for emerging and innovative cell technologies, such as all-solid-state batteries (ASSBs), both in hardware and in software, including advanced State-of-X (SOX) functions. But, overall, I am confident that we can get there, if we focus our work and efforts towards our shared vision.
Still, one of the biggest challenges remains cost. Electromobility needs to become more affordable, and, at the same time, it’s crucial to strengthen Europe’s strategic independence and competitiveness, especially when it comes to critical raw materials. This priority is also reflected in the European Commission’s efforts to support a dedicated Partnership for the automotive sector, building on the achievements of the 2Zero, CCAM, and Batt4EU partnerships, an exciting initiative we have already started working on.