TUAL, a leading innovator in electric commercial-vehicle charging solutions, announced winning a highly prestigious funding package from the Advanced Propulsion Centre’s (APC) Technology Developer Acceleration Programme (TDAP) to expediate the route to market for its state-of-the-art PowerBank Pro-Charging product – with the mission of revolutionising enterprise fleet-vehicle charging and transforming electric commercial-vehicle productivity.
“The APC distributes £1bn of UK Government funding to support the surest bets in future mobility, so it adds huge credibility and kudos getting selected for TDAP” said Philip Clarke, CEO and Founder of TUAL “Grants can come from lots of places, but being invited into the APC ecosystem is a much richer combination of mentoring, access to investors, best practice guidance, a range of best-in-class providers in IP, in scaling to manufacture and in commercialisation through its incubator programme”.
He continued “Providing enterprise fleets with guaranteed access to the energy they need, at the time and place of their choosing, plays a critical role in transforming vehicle suitability, driver satisfaction, and fleet profitability. Accelerating the adoption of electric commercial vehicles is our singular mission, and we’re excited to partner with the Advance Propulsion Centre as part of TDAP.”
Josh Denne, APC’s Head of Product (Start-up, Scale-up, Investment), said: “Congratulations to the latest 14 companies to be selected for our accelerator programme. Alongside my team at the APC, I’m excited to be part of their journey as we discover some of the best cutting-edge green technology in the automotive sector.
We will work closely with each recipient to help them with more than just funding; we aim to develop their offering and their business. As previous iterations of this programme have shown, it can lead to greater private investment and commercial success. This is why our intervention at this point in their story can really be a spark for further opportunity and I look forward to seeing how they make the most of that.”
Developed in conjunction with some of Europe’s largest leading fleet operators, TUAL’s ground-breaking technology has been designed to transform enterprise fleets’ productivity, profitability and utilisation.
Prioritising electric light commercial vehicles (eLCVs) and electric heavy goods vehicles (eHGVs) as a core vehicle segments for enterprise fleets, TUAL’s unique technology provides critical solutions for fleet operators and vehicle OEMs needing to meet the challenges presented by vehicle charging and limited range.
Enterprise fleets and OEMs face an urgent call to embrace decarbonise as lucrative fleet contracts demand the integration of zero-emission vans, while regulatory pressures mandate vehicle manufacturers to deliver them. However, the current market offerings fail to meet the needs of fleet operators, with challenges such as driving range and vehicle charging imposing significant costs on businesses. Research indicates that 40% of van use-cases exceed real-world eLCV range, and 70% of van drivers lack the ability to charge at home or depot, resulting in potential productivity losses of up to £150,000 per driver or vehicle over five years due to charging downtime.
Addressing these challenges head-on, TUAL has developed highly modular powerbank solutions designed for maximum flexibility. These solutions aim to help enterprise fleets overcome grid and vehicle constraints, offering the only on-demand battery system scalable across OEMs. TUAL powerbanks seamlessly integrate with existing platforms of vehicle manufacturers, with integration kits provided alongside each solution for effortless installation.
The intelligent powerbank technology by TUAL can be applied across various critical use-cases for enterprise fleets. TUAL provides a comprehensive suite of solutions empowering commercial fleet operators to take charge of their charging operations. This liberates them from reliance on public charging infrastructure while optimising vehicle uptime and profitability.
For vans unable to home-charge or return to depot, TUAL‘s Vehicle ReCharge powerbank technology offers overnight charging regardless of location. Charge collected on the return journey facilitates this process, and upon arrival at the depot, powerbanks can be swapped in just 90 seconds in the case of eLCVs and five minutes for eHGVs, minimising disruptions to the vehicle’s schedule.
TUAL’s Range Extender solution enables vehicle deployment for long-range duty cycles beyond their standard driving range. By carrying a powerbank during daily operations, drivers can park their vans and trucks while the system charges the vehicle’s battery each time it’s parked.
Additionally, for operators needing auxiliary power beyond the van’s capacity, TUAL’s Portable Power solution delivers off-grid energy on demand. This allows drivers to run auxiliary equipment and charge other vehicles while on the move.