Electric van powerbank maker TUAL takes new HQ at Bicester Motion

TUAL, a designer and manufacturer of electric van powerbanks, has opened its new HQ at Bicester Motion.

The company has taken Building 123b at the Oxfordshire business campus to complement its technical development & engineering centre and planned assembly line in Glasgow.

TUAL has identified an urgent need for enterprise fleets and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to adopt electric light commercial vehicles (eLCVs) amid regulatory pressures in the push for net zero.

However, current driving range and vehicle charging challenges means this places a significant cost burden on businesses.

With 40 per cent of van use cases exceeding real-world eLCV range, and 70 per cent of van drivers unable to charge at home or depot, TUAL says its conversations with industry stakeholders have shown that lost productivity from charging downtime can cost fleets up to £150,000 per driver or vehicle over a five-year period.

The company has therefore developed its modular, portable powerbanks to seamlessly integrate into a van’s load space, allowing for overnight charging regardless of location.

TUAL currently employs a team of eight, with plans to grow to 30 staff across three continents by 2026.

Philip Clarke, chief executive officer and founder of TUAL, said:“Bicester Motion provides TUAL with an industry-leading launchpad for accelerating the development of our unique, cutting-edge electric commercial-vehicle charging solutions.

“From world-class engineering expertise to a host of on-site specialist partners, proximity to the Advanced Propulsion Centre team, and its inspiring entrepreneurial culture, Bicester Motion is a natural location for us to propel our business forward.

“The industry needs to seize the opportunity to electrify commercial vehicles.

“We intend to scale our commercial operations at Bicester, in parallel with the expansion of technical operations in Glasgow, to help businesses make a success of the electric commercial-vehicle transition – now and in the future.”

In moving to Bicester Motion, TUAL joins the likes of NEOM McLaren Electric Racing, Polestar, urban electric two-wheeler manufacturer Zapp and synthetic fuel developer Zero Petroleum.

Daniel Geoghegan, chief executive of Bicester Motion, added: “We warmly welcome TUAL to our thriving future mobility community.

“Their innovative technology has the capability of transforming commercial vehicle EV infrastructure.

“We look forward to seeing their growth continue to accelerate in their new home.”