Commercial vehicle supplier Dawsongroup truck and trailer, has taken delivery of three Carrier Transicold Vector eCool units.
The new additions combine Carrier’s E-Drive all-electric technology with a new energy recovery and storage system.
The system converts kinetic energy generated by the trailer axle and brakes into electric power, which is stored in a battery pack that powers the refrigeration unit.
This circular process creates the industry’s first fully autonomous system, producing no direct carbon dioxide (CO2) or particulate emissions.
The new Vector eCool systems will operate with the engineless versions of the Carrier Transicold Vector HE 19 multi-temperature (MT) and Vector 1550 on two 13.6-metre trailers, with an additional Vector HE 19 MT mounted on a smaller double-axle urban trailer, all built by Gray & Adams.
The trailers can be plugged into the electrical grid when parked and fully charged in just two hours using a standard five pin, three-phase standby plug.
The system is also ultra-low noise, operating below the PIEK standard, which combined with its emissions performance is suited to inner city and urban journeys and creates a quieter working environment for drivers.
The new additions join a temperature-controlled rental fleet of close to 2,000 trucks and trailers – which is around 90% Carrier-cooled – and will be also used to demonstrate to Dawsongroup customers that the Vector eCool system can deliver significant sustainability benefits and cost savings.
John Fletcher, Dawsongroup MD, said the company has been working with Carrier for more than 25 years.
“They are peerless in the industry for quality, support and innovation – so we were excited to see the Vector eCool in action, and we weren’t disappointed.
“Now, we want to showcase these trailers to customers so that they can see for themselves how the technology can deliver a cost-effective alternative to diesel power that ticks all the right boxes from an environmental perspective.
“With the red diesel rebate removed and the cost of fuel in general going through the roof, this technology ties in closely with what we are trying to promote as a business to our customers.
He added: “We want to be able to show that there are workable alternatives – which mostly come from Carrier – available for all types of temperature-controlled vehicles, and we’re certain the Vector eCool system will fit into that bracket perfectly.”
Dawsongroup has more than 85 years of experience in the commercial vehicle sector and said that it plans to add more sustainable refrigeration systems to its rental fleet.
Scott Dargan, Carrier Transicold managing director, UK & Northern Europe, said: “Being able to introduce the Vector eCool together with Dawsongroup to its rental customers in this way represents a fantastic opportunity to showcase the future of refrigerated trailer technology available today.
“We’re excited to demonstrate how effective the system is at lowering fleet emissions for Dawsongroup’s customer base, while proving how simply and effectively it can fit into standard operations without the concerns and constraints typically associated with engineless technologies.”
