Tag Archives: Grayson Thermal Systems

News

Grayson eyes £25m electric vehicle opportunity with roll out of new Vehicle Thermal Management System

A Vehicle Thermal Management System (VTMS) that saves weight and optimises driving range for electric buses, commercial vehicles and off highway applications is marking its first year in production in style.

Grayson Thermal Systems’ revolutionary VTMS combines battery thermal management and heat pump and air conditioning technology into one single system that helps the end-user save costs and space.

The technology, which also incorporate waste heat recycling and electric motor cooling to deliver the complete solution, is expected to tap into the demand for cleaner transport and bosses believe sales for electric double-deck buses could generate £15m of sales by the end of 2023 and more than £25m by 2025.

In order to take advantage of commercial volumes also starting to grow from 2024 onwards, Grayson is investing heavily in its UK manufacturing and build capability, and this will lead to the creation of tens of jobs locally.

“The beauty of our VTMS is that it brings all of our proven battery thermal management and heat pump technology for zero emission vehicles together in one neatly packaged system,” explained Matthew Hateley, European Sales Manager at Grayson Thermal Systems.

“Our unique software platform and clever control logic allows component sharing for different uses meaning a smaller and lighter solution, whilst our technical team have also come up with a unique way to recycle waste energy back into the system – helping the battery conserve power whilst, at the same time, delivering optimum heating and air conditioning performance.”

He went on to add: “The commercial vehicle platform has been designed in a modular way so that the OEM can build-in the technical features they want based on system performance requirements, cost and weight targets.”

Wrightbus, a world-leader in hydrogen and electric technology for the transport sector, became the first company to integrate the Grayson Vehicle Thermal Management System into parts of its fleet last year, a decision that has helped the StreetDeck Electroliner to officially become the most efficient double-deck battery-electric bus in the world.

Official assessments undertaken at UTAC – using the ZEMO-accredited Ultra Low Emission Bus (ULEB) test – showed that the bus achieved a result of 0.68 kWh/km.

This is around half the energy consumed by its closest BEV double-deck UK rival and a major contributing factor to this impressive result was the low energy consumption of the Grayson VTMS to achieve the HVAC requirements and maintain battery temperatures during the test.

Matthew continued to say: “We set a high expectation for what we wanted to achieve in terms of weight and energy efficiency savings, so to accomplish the test results we have gives us a high level of confidence that our technology will change the requirements of electric vehicle HVAC forever.

“More than two years after setting out our strategic goals, it’s fantastic to see our Vehicle Thermal Management System on the roads in and around the UK.”

Ian Gillott, Managing Director at Wrightbus, said: “We are pleased to have integrated the Grayson Vehicle Thermal Management System into part of our fleet. This has resulted in our StreetDeck Electroliner becoming the most efficient double-deck battery-electric bus in the world – something we are immensely proud of.

“Thermal management is critical to vehicle efficiency and the partnership between Grayson and Wrightbus has allowed us to fully optimise this. Being a leader in the zero-emissions transport industry, it is pleasing for us that Grayson is doing all it can to further enhance our vehicles’ performance and green credentials.”

Matthew went on to add: “We are now into the next stage of the development to further improve our product to optimise the performance and green credentials of electric vehicles whilst meeting new legislation coming into effect in 2024.

“The VTMS is the latest system we have introduced to our product range, and we’re delighted to have played a small, but important role in the StreetDeck Electroliner being named as the world’s most efficient double-deck battery-electric bus.

“Both firms share a passion for innovation and that will only continue as we aim to deliver greener transport solutions for the sector.”

Grayson Thermal Systems has worked hard to ensure the VTMS is extremely versatile as it embarks on the next set of customer programmes to productionise its platform for the commercial vehicle sector, including HGVs (up to 28 tonnes), refuse collection and off-highway vehicles destined for mining and construction.

Midlands News, News

West Midlands Mayor backs Grayson Thermal Systems to become global electrification leader

Hundreds of jobs could be created in the West Midlands with zero-emission technology advancements creating global export opportunities for Grayson Thermal Systems.

That was the clear message presented to Andy Street, the Mayor of the West Midlands, during a recent visit to the firm’s Tyseley base, with bosses at the 44-year-old firm convinced that the switch to greener transport solutions presents a ‘once in a generation’ opportunity for their company and the region as a whole.

Managing Director Stuart Hateley believes the area’s traditional strengths in innovation and R&D are already paving the way for new contracts across the world and wants the Government to get behind this drive by making sure that all publicly funded projects feature initiatives that ensure UK-produced goods are given a boost.

His own company is doing its bit, recently investing £2m in R&D, employee upskilling and state-of-the-art testing technology to help it bring a range of zero-emission vehicle products to market that are now being sold into the battery, electric and hydrogen fuel cell, on-highway, off-highway and rail markets.

These solutions are headlined by its Battery Thermal Management System (BTMS), which keeps zero emission vehicles batteries at a stable temperature improving efficiency and extending life.

There has also been significant interest in its complete Vehicle Thermal Management System (VTMS), MagDrive Pump and Electric Water Heater, the latter providing an instant source of clean heat generation that can be transferred for passenger or driver comfort.

“West Midlands manufacturers have really embraced the electrification drive and are exploring ways where they can take conventional technology and transform it into products that will help OEMs achieve zero emission targets,” commented Stuart, who runs Grayson Thermal Systems with his brothers Ian and James.

“From the beginning of 2021 we have enjoyed significant success in the UK, mainland Europe, North America and even further afield with our new suite of products and this is just the start…the potential is huge, with £millions of contracts up for grabs that could create hundreds of jobs here and throughout the supply chain.”

He continued: “It was great to welcome Andy Street to look at our technology developments, which have led to our recent successes and discuss ways in which we could work together to ensure that Government-funded projects deliver even more benefit to the local area.

“A lot of the time it is about making the powers that be aware of what we do in the region and the amazing technical expertise and proven technology we have on our doorstep.

“The conversations were very positive and there was a genuine desire from all parties to explore ways where we could accelerate the development of the region’s ‘electric’ supply chain, boosting domestic and international trade in the process.”

Andy Street, the Mayor of the West Midlands, added his support: “We have a unique opportunity to lead the UK in electrification and the Green Industrial Revolution, and we’ve already enjoyed several funding successes that will help build a more sustainable future – not least when it comes to transport infrastructure.

“But we must continue to explore ways in which we can ensure the full benefit of our greener future can be felt by local businesses, who have the technology, skills and expertise required to bring our plans to life.

“The visit to Grayson Thermal Systems gave me a first-hand insight into the technology we have here in the West Midlands and the opportunities this can bring both locally and on a global scale, as well as the challenges faced by our regional manufacturers. I look forward to continuing to work with firms like Grayson Thermal Systems as we drive the West Midlands forward into a new era.”

Birmingham-based Grayson Thermal Systems has bounced back from the pandemic and is enjoying a surge of new projects, contract wins and orders for its zero-emission range of thermal management products.

Group turnover will grow by another 15% in 2022 and more than 40 new jobs have already been created, with further positions now available across engineering, operations and administration.