Latest news from Loughborough University
20 Nov 2014
Intelligent Energy’s portable hydrogen fuel cell Upp™ launches at Apple Stores across the UK
Intelligent Energy Holdings plc – the energy technology group founded on Loughborough University research – has just announced the UK retail launch of Upp™, the portable power solution driven by a hydrogen fuel cell to power up USB compatible devices.
Available at Apple Stores across the UK and www.beupp.com, Upp is the next generation of award winning fuel cell technology from Intelligent Energy. The company is breaking new boundaries by miniaturising hydrogen fuel cells that can deliver instant energy to USB-compatible devices, anytime, anywhere. Intelligent Energy’s origins trace back to the invention of the UK’s first 1kW proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell at Loughborough University in the late 1980s, and its headquarters are on the University’s Science and Enterprise Parks.
The hydrogen fuel cell delivers power to USB-compatible smartphones, wearable technology such as fitness bands, portable speakers, e-readers, gaming devices and digital cameras. Upp powers devices at the same speed as plugging into a wall socket. Also flight friendly, Upp is the perfect portable travel companion to stay powered up and connected while in the air.
Dr Henri Winand, Intelligent Energy's Chief Executive Officer, said: "Upp represents the start of the next generation of energy devices, a signal to the portable electronics market that customers are ready to adopt transformative technologies. Consumers want energy independence as the demand and reliance on portable devices accelerates."
A full Upp Cartridge powering a smartphone can typically deliver one week's worth of power. On average, that means 900 additional hours of standby or 32 hours of call time, 26 hours of video or alternatively an extra 40 hours of web browsing.
The Upp starter pack, consisting of an Upp fuel cell and Upp Cartridge, has a recommended retail price (RRP) of £149. Once the reusable cartridge* is empty, a customer simply exchanges it for a replacement cartridge (RRP of £5.95). Upp also comes with a companion app providing users with personal usage statistics, fuel cartridge exchange locations, FAQs and customer support access. The app can be downloaded from the Apple App Store (iOS 5 and higher).
* Spare cartridge (incl. fuel) can be purchased for (RRP) £49.95 each
Notes for editors
Article reference number: PR 14/203
1. Intelligent Energy’s newly launched Upp™ – a portable power solution driven by a hydrogen fuel cell to power up USB-compatible devices – has been named a 2015 CES Innovation Awards Honoree.
2. Intelligent Energy Holdings plc is an energy technology group which develops efficient and clean hydrogen fuel cell power systems for the global automotive, consumer electronics, distributed power and generation markets – from powering zero-emission vehicles to compact energy packs for mobile devices and stationary power units for the always-on infrastructure.
Working with international companies, Intelligent Energy aims to embed its technology in mass market applications to solve the challenges of continuous power and productivity, by creating everyday energy solutions to power people’s lives. The Group’s intellectual property and expertise is based around proprietary fuel cell technologies, which are the product of over 25 years of research and development. Its patent portfolio includes more than 400 patents granted (and over 600 patents pending) across more than 300 patent families. The Group also maintains a significant body of confidential know-how and trade secrets.
With its principal facility and headquarters on Loughborough University Science and Enterprise Parks, the company also has operations in India, Japan and Singapore, a commercial office in Silicon Valley, USA, and research facilities in Florida, USA. Intelligent Energy Holdings plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE: IEH) and was named the UK Science Park Association’s Most Successful Company in July 2014.
For more information on Intelligent Energy is available at WordPress, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn. Or visit www.intelligent-energy.com.
3. Loughborough is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines.
It has been awarded five stars in the independent QS Stars university rating scheme, putting it among the best universities in the world, and was named Sports University of the Year 2013-14 by The Times and Sunday Times. Loughborough is consistently ranked in the top twenty of UK universities in the Times Higher Education’s ‘table of tables’ and has been voted England's Best Student Experience for six years running in the Times Higher Education league. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, Loughborough has been awarded seven Queen's Anniversary Prizes.
In 2015 the University will open an additional academic campus in London’s new innovation quarter. Loughborough University in London, based on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, will offer postgraduate and executive-level education, as well as research and enterprise opportunities.
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Loughborough University
T: 01509 223445
E: A.J.Leather@lboro.ac.uk