UK manufacturer Tharsus has been appointed to produce TUAL’s battery-buffered DC fast charger, as the charging technology company moves from proof-of-concept and field trials towards volume production.
The partnership will see Tharsus work with TUAL’s engineering team to optimise production of the PowerUp Charger, which combines battery storage, power electronics and software to provide fast charging at sites where the electricity grid cannot support conventional high-power charging.
The move marks a shift from developing and testing the charger to preparing it for larger-scale manufacture. Tharsus, based in Blyth, Northumberland, specialises in taking complex electro-mechanical products from prototype through to production, with experience spanning battery systems, power electronics, autonomous mobility and connected robotics.
For TUAL, the manufacturing challenge is to translate a system developed for field deployment into a product that can be built consistently at higher volumes. The companies have not disclosed planned production volumes or the changes being made to the charger’s design or assembly process.
“Delivering on our uptime and performance targets requires a manufacturing partner with exceptional technical capability and operational discipline,” said Phil Clarke, Founder and CEO of TUAL. “Tharsus brings exactly that. They understand the importance of building quality into every stage of the process and have the experience to support our move from pilot to scalable production.”
The PowerUp Charger is designed for commercial fleets operating in locations where grid capacity limits the installation of conventional fast chargers. Its battery can provide additional power for charging without requiring an equivalent increase in the site’s grid connection.
TUAL said the charger has secured Made in Britain status as it prepares to scale production and expand into European markets. The company did not disclose how much of the product will be manufactured domestically or the proportion of its components sourced from UK suppliers.
Brian Palmer, Founder of Tharsus, said the company would support TUAL in bringing the technology to markets across Europe.
