Food wholesaler Flach Rhein-Main GmbH has expanded its truck fleet with ECOOLTEC TM182 refrigeration units after a year-long field test. The company initially equipped three vehicles with the electrically powered units and has now increased the number to eight, citing sustainability and service advantages.
The ECOOLTEC TM182 operates solely on electricity and uses natural refrigerants CO2 (R744) and propene (R1270), with global warming potential (GWP) values of 1 and 3, respectively. This replaces conventional systems using F-gases such as R452A and R410A, which have GWP values above 2,000. According to Flach, the TM182 supports the company’s efforts to reduce the CO2 footprint of its distribution transport within a 200 km (approx. 124 mi) radius from its Büttelborn location.
Fleet manager David van Deventer emphasized the economic and environmental benefits of the TM182, noting that each circuit uses only 0.7 kg of propene and around 1 kg of CO2. This significantly lowers the risk of environmental harm in case of refrigerant leakage and results in lower service and maintenance costs. “Because the TM182 only contains small quantities of refrigerant, we only need to top up a small amount… This is more cost-effective,” van Deventer stated.
Despite being pre-series models, the first three TM182 units demonstrated reliability from the start, according to van Deventer. Remote diagnostics enabled over-the-air restarts, reducing downtime. The integration of Flach’s preferred service partner into ECOOLTEC’s service network was also highlighted as a benefit.
Van Deventer also praised the cooling performance during high-temperature periods and the unit’s quiet operation, which was well received by drivers. Flach currently operates three 15-tonne and three 18-tonne trucks with the TM182, with two more 18-tonne vehicles set to join soon, bringing the total to eight out of a fleet of 41.