Wincanton’s rapid deployment charging trial ‘highly successful’

The month-long trial relied on TUAL’s PowerUp Charger to deliver energy requirements to 19 large and medium-sized e-vans at Wincanton’s depot in West London.

Delivered in partnership with Connected Places Catapult and the Department for Transport (DfT), the demonstration showcased the ability for battery-integrated charging to increase available on-site capacity.

TUAL said its analysis had shown 50-80% of sites looking to electrify have constrained or absent grid connections.

Obtaining the grid upgrades required for high-powered charging made the EV transition unviable for many fleets and commercial landlords.

It said its 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.

Philip Clarke, chief executive 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.”

Claire Charlton, Wincanton head of innovation, said: “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 the DfT and Connected Places Catapult for delivering the hugely successful Freight Innovation Fund programme.”