Tesco trials eight prototype lightweight trailers designed by Lawrence David

Tesco has launched a trial of a double-deck trailer, designed by manufacturer Lawrence David , which weighs 22% less than a standard double-deck unit.

The supermarket giant is testing the eight demonstrators in a year-long trial as part a project funded by Innovate UK, which is aimed at reducing emissions and improving fuel efficiency.

The Lightweight Aerodynamic Double-Deck Trailer Trial is being run by a consortium of partners. These include trailer manufacturers Lawrence David and SDC Trailers, as well as Tata Steel and Cambridge University.

The trailers, which are built on an SDC chassis with body design by Lawrence David, use a steel composite shell called Coretinium, developed by Tata Steel.

The finished trailer weighs 8.6 tonnes and can carry a larger payload than a conventional trailer, as well as being much lighter when unladen. It also has a higher proportion of recyclable content than conventional rigid-body trailers.

The Coretinium material has been used in the trailers’ side walls, bulkhead, rear doors and flooring. It sandwiches a polypropylene honeycomb core between two steel outer skin panels, and weighs less than an equivalent-sized wooden fence panel.

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Joshua Barnard, Lawrence David group marketing manager, said: “Lawrence David is committed to delivering more sustainable vehicles and manufacturing processes. We want to reduce our waste, limit our impact on the environment and use materials that, after a long life on the road, can be easily recycled.

"There are synergies between Lawrence David’s values of innovation, integrity, collaboration and quality, and those of Tata Steel, which is reflected in the way we work together.”

Edwin Richards, Tata Steel technical sales manager, said: “In Coretinium we have developed a product that is not only light and durable, but can be easily and safely recycled.

"We’re delighted to be working with a highly established trailer manufacturer such as Lawrence David, to demonstrate how Coretinium can help the truck sector revolutionise its products to be more fuel efficient and sustainable.”