9:00am Thursday 19th February 2009
By Wes Wright
A BOLTON company which invented a gadget for improving fuel efficiency and reducing harmful emissions is looking to expand globally.
After spending substantial amounts on research and development to produce the Hydrocharger unit for motorcycles, cars and light vans the couple behind the product, Neil and Samantha Prendergast, are in Mumbai attempting to get a foothold in the Indian market.
Based in Bromley Cross, the couple have already produced and sold 6,000 units at £220 each and have got feedback from 3,000 customers who have verified the fuel savings and reduced emissions.
The units can be used in petrol, diesel and single and multi-stroke engines, and they are awaiting results from independent tests carried out by the University of Bolton.
The company already has a bigger unit being tested in lorries in a haulage fleet in the UK and is looking to adapt the unit for use in boats, generators and trains.
Mrs Prendergast, who is managing director of Hydrocharger, is in Mumbai this week as part of a Greater Manchester delegation helped by the Government business support arm, UK Trade and Industry in the North West.
Several Bolton businesses have also travelled to Mumbai looking to improve trade links or set up joint ventures with Indian companies.
Mrs Prendergast is spending the week contacting potential manufacturers, distributors and certification bodies in India with a view to producing hundreds of thousands of units for the Indian market.
Mrs Prendergast met and discussed Hydrocharger with the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) who would test and certify the unit before it could be sold in the Indian market.
She also met senior management from Mahindra International, who make engines and who agreed to test a device on one of their engines, and two distribution companies, Auro Controls and Global Tech, who both have manufacturing capabilities.
After her meetings she said: “It’s very exciting to see that other people are interested enough in Hydrocharger to want to get involved. It’s the culmination of years of hard work and research and development and we would really like to see Hydrocharger installed in at least one in every five cars within the next five years.”
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