Thermo King, a player in transport temperature control solutions and a brand of Trane Technologies, have announced that three new refrigerated trailers featuring the Advancer AxlePower energy recovery system started operations in the Netherlands. The three trailers are part of the TIP Group’s fleet and are operated by Herbert SAS, Tielbeke Transport B.V. and Wezenberg Transport B.V. delivering for Albert Heijn, the largest supermarket chain in the Netherlands.
Opening the doors to emission-free refrigerated trailers, the project is a result of a collaboration between Thermo King, BPW Bergische Achsen KG, a leader in running gears and mobility services for transport, and equipment service provider TIP Group.
“It is uplifting to work together with the industry leaders and demonstrate capabilities of the technologies that put sustainability front and centre in the transport industry,” said Colm O’Grady, Tra iler Product Leader at Thermo King. “Combining our expertise with BPW and TIP Group we’re putting new technology in the hands of the transport companies that allow them to turn the energy typically lost by a trailer during transit into clean power for the refrigeration units. Our innovation enables change in transport refrigeration and helps fleets achieve sustainable practice goals, move goods in the most environmentally friendly way and meet lower emission requirements from regulators.”
“The sustainability balance of our solution includes both an ecological and an economic dimension: emissions and noise are reduced, and ongoing operational costs drop immediately – an important advantage, especially in current times of high energy prices”, adds Thore Bakker, General Manager Trailer Solutions and Mobility Services at BPW Bergische Achsen KG. “The customer experience tour comes at exactly the right time as pressure on the industry has never been so intense.
“In our mission to create zero-emission temperature-controlled trailers, we are offering different solutions to our customers to meet their specific needs. The battery only solution is already available and this trial, with the energy axle configuration, will take up to about 12 months. The first results are very promising.” explains Rogier Laan, Vice President Sales and Marketing at TIP Group. “We strongly believe that diesel temperature-controlled trailers will quickly fade-out in favour of fully electrical and we are here to drive and support that transition.”
Developed in partnership with BPW, the Advancer AxlePower is a fully integrated, tractor independent system that combines BPW’s ePower axle with Thermo King refrigeration unit and power management technology. The trailers operating for Albert Heijn feature Thermo King Advancer A-500 Whisper-Pro, PIEK certified refrigeration units and BPW ePower axles. The AxlePower’s smart energy generating system delivers the power needed to run the trailer refrigeration unit by converting energy recovered by the trailer’s axle during the vehicle’s routine operation.
The system stores the energy generated while the vehicle is rolling or braking in a high voltage battery and reuses it to power the refrigeration unit – enabling fully electric, low or zero-emission and autonomous trailer refrigeration. The battery pack, being charged while the trailer is moving also powers the unit autonomously while the trailer is stopped. Featuring smart power management that controls the engagement and disengagement of the generators, Advancer AxlePower also minimises the resistance on the tractor and provides the driver and fleet manager with real-time battery charge visibility to avoid ‘charge anxiety’.
The possibility to capture and reuse energy makes the Advancer AxlePower system an ideal solution to future-proof and increase the sustainability of all types of trailer journeys. With silent running and no CO2 emissions from the refrigeration unit when operating from the battery-pack, this technology allows customers to sustainably run long-haul and inner-city deliveries, including in Ultra-low Emission Zones (ULEZs) and low noise urban areas.
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