Part financed by the European Regional Development Fund
Case Study: Carroll and Meynell
Stockton based Carroll and Meynell Transformers Ltd designs and manufactures electrical transformers providing power solutions to a wide range of industries including construction, transport, mining and power distribution.
The challenge
Carroll and Meynell is building a prototype of a new multi vehicle electric charger which can charge up to 10 vehicles at a time. Currently there is no standard number of individual points for an electric charging station, and on street charging points still tend to number just one or two. With the worldwide sale of new electric vehicles reaching a record 750,000 in 2016, the electrical vehicle market is growing like never before. As the prices of electrical cars fall and battery ranges increase, the latest predictions indicate that the number of plug in cars and vans could reach 9 million by 2030.
Everybody in our industry is looking towards the electrical vehicles market. It is something that is growing all the time and is not going to go away. The multi charge has the potential to be a real game changer for our company. It will allow us to move into that market and put the company on a global footing.
Mike Meynell, Managing Director
Our approach
Teesside University worked with Carroll and Meynell to help the company secure an Innovate UK grant of £100,000. Omar Al Janabi, Business Innovation Manager at The Forge, the University business hub, assisted Carroll and Meynell by bringing the funding to the company attention and helping with the bid writing process by drafting and editing sections of the document.
More businesses like ours should consider working with the University. We are able to access cutting edge facilities and expertise which, as a relatively small company, we would not normally have access to on our own.
Mike Meynell, Managing Director
The results
The successful bid now means Carroll and Meynell can take their concept from the drawing board and test a real life version of the charger. The multi charge promises to be an exciting development as it means that electric vehicle charging points can be upgraded to cater for more vehicles without the need for a huge investment in infrastructure.
The product will offer Carroll and Meynell a new product line in an expanding industry that will only get bigger over the coming years.
We have always had a very good working relationship with Teesside University and have worked with it on everything from student placements to a staff member completing a PhD. Without this Innovate UK grant we would not have been able to develop the multi charge and Teesside University has been integral to the process.
Mike Meynell, Managing Director
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