Charging solutions firm TUAL has completed a month-long trial of its battery-buffered DC charger with logistics firm Wincanton.
The PowerUp Charger was deployed at one of the firm’s e-fleet operating sites in West London, on 19 large and medium-sized electric vans.
It can be applied quickly for marginal grid-capacity sites, taking 15 minutes to unload and install before it can deliver high-speed off-grid DC charging.
Delivered in partnership with Wincanton, Connected Places Catapult and Department for Transport, the demonstration showcased the ability for battery-integrated charging to increase available on-site capacity by up to 250%.
The charger helped Wincanton deliver an average 4.9 high-power DC charges per day, using an 11kW connection that previously delivered 1.2 low-power (AC) charges per day. It also facilitated 3,138 clean-air miles during its four weeks in operation – saving 1,560kg of CO2 emissions.
According to TUAL’s analysis, 50-80% of sites looking to electrify have constrained or absent grid connections. Obtaining the grid upgrades required for high-powered charging make the EV transition unviable for many fleets and commercial landlords, with upfront capital expenditure ranging from £150,000 to £3m.
Fleet operators and commercial landlords can subsequently deploy the power as required, delivering high-power charging up to 120kW – giving operators the intensive charging needed to maximise vehicle uptime, and tenants the confidence to commit to the EV transition, TUAL said.
Philip Clarke, CEO and Founder of TUAL, said:
“Myself and the whole TUAL team are delighted to see Wincanton and their clients benefit from our battery-buffered DC PowerUp Charger technology – successfully delivering the dependable, cost-effective, and rapidly deployable fast charging that lies at the core of our mission.
“That undertaking is a critically important one in the shift to sustainable fleet operations; businesses across the UK needing to electrify are faced with sites that don’t have the grid capacity to make an efficient transition possible. We’re excited to continue our work in helping fleets to electrify faster, and would like to thank Wincanton for their commitment and passion for innovation in realising that mission.”
Claire Charlton, Head of Innovation at Wincanton, said:
“On behalf of the whole Wincanton team, I’d like to extend our thanks to TUAL for their cutting-edge technology and their professionalism throughout this pilot.
“Solutions such as TUAL’s are central to making our net-zero ambitions happen, and smart innovation is essential for helping businesses expedite the expansion of their fleet electrification, cost-effectively. I would also like to extend my thanks to DfT and Connected Places Catapult for delivering the hugely successful Freight Innovation Fund programme.”
Image courtesy of TUAL
