Carrier Transicold’s New Aspen APU Delivers Comforts of Home to Truck Drivers on the Road

Date: 16 August 2023

The new Aspen diesel auxiliary power unit (APU) from Carrier Transicold is a smart and reliable way to provide long-haul truck drivers cab climate control and electrical power during rest breaks, while also reducing fuel consumption and carbon emissions by eliminating truck idling.

“Taking a fresh approach to cab comfort and convenience, we designed the Aspen APU from the inside out for high-performance, versatility, durability, reliability and ease of use,” said Ryan Rubly, Product Manager – Alternative Power, Carrier Transicold.

Thanks to the high-output generator at its core, the Aspen APU delivers an exceptional combination of standard capabilities, unmatched by any other APU. It provides the comforts of home: cab cooling, heating and electric power, as well as automatic truck battery charging and engine preheating.

“We’ve added an innovative and easy-to-use control interface for drivers along with new APU configuration options for heating and hotel power loads,” said Rubly. “Technicians will appreciate our new CabinTech PC software that enables fast setup, service and troubleshooting of the Aspen APU.”

For rugged service, the Aspen APU is built with marine-grade components and enhanced alloys for strength and corrosion resistance. Automotive-grade, IP67-rated electronics protect against sand, dust and water. A lightweight, corrosion-free injection-molded housing cover provides easy access to the power plant, even behind fairings.

Among the Aspen APU’s key features are:

All-new programmable driver interface that makes temperature control as effortless as a home thermostat, with an illuminated dial supported by a backlit digital information display.
12,000 BTU/h of cab cooling from the company that invented modern air conditioning.
Greater heating versatility via the standard 8,200 BTU/h electric heater and a new option, the 7,000 BTU/h fuel-fired Carrier cabin heater.
High-grade power from its own generator to provide household quality electricity for appliances, computers and more, which can now be augmented with an optional inverter to maintain hotel loads via the truck when it is moving.

Carrier Transicold offers several models of the Aspen APU, including an integrated system that uses coolant exchange for truck engine preheating, a stand-alone unit that powers the tractor’s block heater for engine heating, and a power-only version for work trucks that need auxiliary power but don’t require cab climate control. If equipped with an optional adapter, Aspen APUs can be operated using 115-volt shore power when the truck is parked, eliminating the need to run the APU engine for added fuel savings.