Commercial vehicle contract hire company Vertellus has added ten fully electric refrigerated trucks to its EV Discovery Programme as part opf its drive to make EV trials affordable and accessible for temperature-controlled transport operators.

The ten new 18-tonne Renault Trucks E-Tech D Wide rigids are equipped with 1.5 tonne Dhollandia tail lifts and temperature-controlled Slipstream bodies by Solomon Commercials, mounted with engineless Carrier Transicold Iceland 11 Multi-Temperature (MT) systems accompanied by the company’s Power Box unit, delivering for customers with zero emissions in use. 

As part of the EV Discovery Programme, which is the company’s BEV Equipment as a Service, the new trucks are available nationwide, offering operators in temperature-controlled transport an all-inclusive solution to hire a ready-to-work electric vehicle on a three-month term, delivered with DC charger installed at the vehicle’s operating base, alongside maintenance and support. 

The Carrier Transicold Iceland 11 MT works in conjunction with the Power Box, which effectively operates like an electronic power take-off. The Power Box takes energy from the given vehicle’s driveline and converts it into the required AC current and frequency to run the Iceland unit.

From an operational perspective, the Carrier Transicold system achieves more than 95% efficiency when converting energy from the electric driveline to power the refrigeration system, with the complete setup ensuring rapid temperature pull-down capability and PIEK-compliant performance. 

Ian Seager, Vertellus sales and business director, said: “We are on a mission to de-risk EV trials, and these latest vehicles are a significant investment in our fleet that gives operators in the cold chain the opportunity to trial a zero-emission vehicle affordably, at a fraction of the cost of purchasing an electric vehicle, whilst putting the vehicle to work.” 

“Our EV Discovery programme enables businesses to understand how electric vehicles can work in their fleet and plan their move to a sustainable and greener fleet. By working with leading partners such as Solomon and Carrier Transicold, we ensure all our customers experience the very best when they test the potential of electric vehicles in their logistics network.” 

Scott Dargan, Carrier Transicold managing director UK & Northern Europe, said: “The integration of our Iceland 11 MT and Power Box systems into Vertellus’ new electric fleet represents a significant milestone in sustainable logistics.

“Our cutting-edge all electric technology ensures maximum efficiency and reliability, coupled with a low weight, low noise PIEK certified temperature-controlled solution. We’re excited to support Vertellus in making EV trials more accessible and demonstrating the viability of zero tailpipe emissions across the cold chain sector.” 

Colin Carter, Solomon Commercials sales manager, added, “As a business, we are increasingly seeing our customers look for vehicles that can deliver products from A to B in perfect condition, while looking to minimise their environmental impact. 

“EVs will ultimately be a staple addition to any fleet, and we’ve developed several different specifications of bodywork to accommodate a broad marketplace. It’s a project that we’re proud to have been involved with.”

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