UK retailer Tesco has placed an order for five new refrigerated trucks equipped with ECOOLTEC TM182 systems, following successful on-road trials of two vehicles in 2023.
According to ECOOLTEC, the units demonstrated reliable temperature control for both chilled and frozen goods during multiple-drop delivery tests. Tesco cited the technology’s low maintenance requirements, fast pull-down times, and reduced environmental impact as key factors behind the expanded order.
ECOOLTEC’s TM182 units operate without auxiliary diesel engines or F-gas refrigerants, using instead 650 g of propene for each external circuit and approximately 1 kg of CO2 per internal cooling circuit. The system features four fully hermetic and independent circuits.
With F-gases such as HFCs facing phasedown regulations under EU Regulation 2024/573 and similar plans in the UK, ECOOLTEC positions the TM182 as a future-proof alternative using natural refrigerants with Global Warming Potential (GWP) values of 3 and 1, compared to common transport refrigerants R452A and R410A with GWPs around 2,000.
Tesco Fleet Engineering Manager Cliff Smith commented, “We’re working towards our goal to reach carbon neutrality across our own operations by 2035 and net zero across our value chain by 2050. The two ECOOLTEC vehicles we’ve been using have performed successfully and we’re looking forward to introducing another five to our fleet.”
ECOOLTEC CEO Henning Altebäumer added, “Tesco's on-road tests and follow-up order confirm our performance promises. We would like to thank them for their trust.”