It’s great to have an application where you can run an electric van all day, and then leave it to charge all night.
But what if you need to keep your van going longer than a single charge will allow? Or maybe you just don’t have somewhere to plug your van in overnight?
TUAL is a leading innovator in electric commercial-vehicle charging solutions based in the UK, they reckon they may just have the answer.
Their solution? A replaceable power bank.
The business has just taken the covers off of this new PowerBank Pro-Charging offering that they say helps better meet the needs of LCV (Light Commercial Vehicle) operators.
And, remarkably, their power bank works with the hardware (and software) of OEMs…meaning the eLCV vehicle doesn’t require a different powertrain.
The power bank provides overnight charging regardless of location – delivered by charge collected on the return journey. Once the driver returns to the depot, they can swap powerbanks in 90 seconds, ensuring minimal disruption to the vehicle’s schedule.
TUAL’s Range Extender solution enables vehicle deployment for long-range duty cycles, beyond their standard driving range.
Taking a power bank with them during daily operations, drivers can park up their van while the system charges the vehicle’s battery each time it’s parked.
Philip Clarke is the CEO and Founder of TUAL, he says 40% of eLCV van use cases exceed the real-world range, and 70% of van drivers are unable to charge at home or a depot.
“Providing van-fleet drivers 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.
“That is what TUAL has been founded to achieve, and – together with some of Europe’s largest fleets – that is what our unique power bank technology has been developed to facilitate.
“We are firmly on track on the journey from product development and prototyping to full-scale manufacturing, and the scope of the technology is hugely exciting for us – with the business looking in future to expand into haulage, agriculture, emergency-services, and defence fleets.
“Focusing our initial offering on the eLCV segment as a core component of enterprise fleets, we’re committed to delivering the tools they need to make a success of their transition to electric power.”
Check out more on this clever tech in the video below.
