BÄKO Süd-West has taken delivery of two Mercedes-Benz eActros 400 trucks equipped with ECOOLTEC TM182 transport refrigeration units. According to the companies, they are the first fully electric trucks in Germany fitted with ECOOLTEC’s fully electric refrigeration system.
The three-axle trucks feature multi-temperature bodies from Karosseriewerk Meyer. The TM182 units receive power from the vehicle batteries through the trucks’ DC-ePTO and use the natural refrigerants R1270, or propene, and R744, or CO2. BÄKO Süd-West transports around 16,000 products at ambient, chilled or frozen temperatures.
The vehicles operate on routes of around 300 kilometres (about 186 miles) with up to 15 deliveries. BÄKO Süd-West expects the ECOOLTEC technology to reduce annual costs by at least €4,000 [about US$4,400] per vehicle through lower maintenance expenses and the use of natural refrigerants. A Baden-Württemberg subsidy provided €60,000 [about US$66,000] toward maintenance and operating costs for the two trucks.
The TM182 has a profile of 250 millimetres (9.8 inches) and is integrated into the box body. This configuration helps BÄKO Süd-West meet site restrictions limiting truck length to 10.15 metres (33.3 feet), while avoiding the reduced loading height associated with roof-integrated systems, which the company said can leave less than 1.9 metres (6.2 feet) of clearance.
The trucks return to the depot by around 1 p.m. and can be charged from BÄKO Süd-West’s rooftop photovoltaic system, which generates just over 700 kWp. The company operates four charging points with a maximum capacity of 360 kW each. “The Mercedes-Benz eActros 400 with the ECOOLTEC transport refrigeration system marks a logical step for our company towards sustainable, low-emission logistics,” said Jochen Früauff, Managing Director of BÄKO Süd-West.
