Wincanton has completed a successful pilot of Tual’s PowerUp Charger, demonstrating the ability to increase depot charging capacity by over 200%.

The battery-buffered DC charger underpinned the duty cycles of 19 large- and medium-sized electric vans

The month-long trial was carried out at one of the Wincanton e-fleet operating sites in West London where the battery-buffered DC charger underpinned the duty cycles of 19 large- and medium-sized fully electric vans.

The PowerUp 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.

Contributing to Wincanton’s ongoing commitment to achieving net zero operations by 2040, the PowerUp Charger also facilitated 3,138 clean-air miles during its four weeks in operation – saving 1,560kg of CO2 emissions.

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%.

According to Tual, 50-80% of sites looking to electrify have constrained or absent grid connections. Grid upgrades typically take from one to three years at a cost ranging from £150,000 to £3m.

Combining energy storage and fast DC charging in one package, Tual’s PowerUp Charger powerbanks employ the same technology as its vehicle powerbanks, plugging gaps in grid supply and providing sites with dependable DC power to keep vehicles on the road.

Fleets and commercial landlords benefit from high-power charging up to 120kW, using energy drawn from the grid at the most efficient times, while renewable-power sources can be integrated to avoid the need for further battery storage. The PowerUp Charger can also be fully deployed and operational within 15 minutes.

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.”