TIP Group has launched two major innovations for the industry: the “E-reefer”, using the net to power its battery, and the “AxlePower”, using the reefer’s lost energy as a power source for its refrigeration unit.
TIP launches the pilot of “Endurance”, a battery and solar-powered Transport Refrigeration Unit (TRU).
Trailers will be equipped with Sunswap’s innovative battery and solar-powered refrigeration unit. These units use cutting-edge technology to provide reliable and sustainable cooling, removing the need for traditional diesel-powered refrigeration systems and helping to decarbonize the transportation industry’s cold chain.
The twelve-month pilot will be launched this summer. TIP already pre-ordered 40 battery and solar-powered TRU, with the first entering service in August 2023 for its customers.
Interim results findings will be announced later this year. The system is fully electric and depending on conditions, the solar panels can typically provide 65% to 100% of the charge needed to operate the refrigeration unit. This free green energy considerably reduces reliance on grid charging and costs. This will not only decrease a fleet’s carbon footprint but also provide a reliable source of energy to extend the range of the TRU.
Once the pilot project is completed, the technology could be deployed more widely by TIP, providing a best practice solution for the industry.
