TUAL, a leading innovator in electric commercial-vehicle charging solutions, has today announced the opening of its new commercial headquarters at Bicester Motion in Oxfordshire. This marks a significant milestone in TUAL’s expansion, underscoring the growth of the vibrant Bicester mobility ecosystem.
The new headquarters, located in the Heritage area of Bicester Motion, complements TUAL’s existing technical development and engineering centre, as well as the planned assembly line in Glasgow. This addition strengthens TUAL’s operational infrastructure, supporting the company’s ongoing scale-up phase. TUAL’s establishment at Bicester Motion is a pioneering move for the innovative campus, being the first high-performance battery specialist focused on commercial vehicles and enterprise fleets to set up operations there.
Bicester Motion’s Heritage area is part of a broader development aimed at advancing the past, present, and future of mobility. It represents a unique ecosystem of businesses, fostering skills and expertise, employment opportunities, and shared business incubation. This environment promotes aggregate growth and attracts a qualified customer base.
The new TUAL site is housed within The Station Armoury, joining a roster of forward-thinking businesses in the sustainable mobility sector. These include the electric vehicle brand Polestar, the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team, urban electric two-wheeler manufacturer Zapp, and synthetic fuel developer Zero Petroleum.
Situated in one of the UK’s leading regions for scientific and technological innovation, Bicester Motion offers a central location ideal for business and product development. The site is reinforced by robust static and live-drive environments, essential for showcasing and testing TUAL’s cutting-edge technology.
Philip Clarke, CEO and Founder of TUAL, expressed his enthusiasm: “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 Scotland, to help businesses make a success of the electric commercial-vehicle transition – now and in the future.”
Daniel Geoghegan, Chief Executive of Bicester Motion, welcomed TUAL to the community: “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.”
The urgency for enterprise fleets and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to adopt electric light commercial vehicles (eLCVs) is increasing, driven by lucrative fleet contracts and regulatory pressures demanding zero-emission vans. However, current eLCV offerings fall short of meeting fleet operators' needs, with driving range and vehicle charging challenges imposing significant costs. An estimated 40% of van use cases exceed the real-world eLCV range, and 70% of van drivers are unable to charge at home or depot, leading to productivity losses that can cost fleets up to £150,000 per driver or vehicle over five years.
TUAL’s modular powerbank solutions are designed to address these challenges, offering maximum flexibility and overcoming grid and vehicle constraints. Their scalable, on-demand battery systems are compatible with existing OEM platforms, with seamless installation facilitated by integration kits provided with each solution.
For more information on TUAL and its portfolio of groundbreaking solutions, visit: https://www.tual.io
