Sustainable Cold Chain Solutions at ACT Expo 2024

Thermo King

Thermo King has long set the standard for shaping the future of temperature-controlled transport. At ACT Expo, Thermo King will demonstrate how the company continues to transform the way fleet owners and operators manage their fleets by offering smart, sustainable temperature control solutions throughout the cold chain.

Thermo King's offerings that minimize environmental impact range from high-efficiency and low-emissions diesel options to all-electric transport refrigeration units (TRUs) and auxiliary power units (APUs). Following the success of electric, truck-mounted TRUs including the e200, e300 and e1000, the evolve family of products continues to grow with the testing of single- and multi-temp hybrid-electric refrigerated trailers. Preliminary trials run over the course of 2,000 hours and 40,000 miles with over 400 deliveries demonstrate significant progress in reducing carbon emissions and fuel consumption, with results indicating that the use of the TRUs saved approximately 1,300 gallons of fuel and eliminated over 34,000 pounds of CO2 emissions.

Onsite, attendees will have the opportunity to speak with Thermo King experts on the latest innovations from its expanding portfolio including:

• e200: all-electric TRU for Class 1-4 trucks and vans
• e300: all-electric TRU for Class 2-4 trucks
• e1000: all-electric TRU for Class 5-7 trucks
• TriPac Envidia: all-electric APU with industry-leading power at 80,000 British Thermal Units per hour (BTUh)
• Precedent S-750i: hybrid diesel-electric TRU for trailers
• TracKing telematics: real-time data and insights to optimize performance and enhance efficiency, now standard on new Thermo King trailer, large truck and diesel APU units
• TracKing Pro telematics: premium digital offering for Thermo King rail, trailer and large truck units to help customers exceed their operational and decarbonization goals

Additionally, Thermo King will offer a glimpse into two upcoming multi-temp product launches. These include the e1000M, a multi-temp, all-electric TRU for Class 5-7 trucks slated for launch later this year, and the Precedent S-750M, a hybrid-electric TRU which will allow for temperature-controlled trailers to haul multi-temp loads, slated to launch in 2025.

In addition to highlighting its full lineup of sustainable temperature control solutions in the Thermo King booth (#3431), Isuzu Commercial Truck of America, Inc. and Range Energy will have Thermo King products integrated into their respective booths:

• Range Energy will feature a refrigerated Precedent S-610DE trailer integrated with Range’s electric powered trailer platform in booth #931. This follows the recent joint announcement to collaborate on advancing the commercialization of electric refrigerated trailers.
• Isuzu will showcase an e300 integration on an all-electric Isuzu NRR electric vehicle (EV), demonstrating a zero-emission box truck solution for the commercial trucking industry, in booth #3570.

Carrier Transicold

Carrier Transicold will exhibit its eCool series of electric transport refrigeration products at the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo in Las Vegas, demonstrating how Carrier can support customers’ sustainability goals and regulatory compliance. 

Carrier Transicold’s eCool family features transport refrigeration equipment for a range of commercial vehicle types, including on-highway tractors and trailers, medium-duty trucks and delivery vans.

The ACT Expo runs May 20-23 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Carrier Transicold will highlight the following eCool transport refrigeration units (TRUs) at Booth 1420:

• The Vector eCool system combines an all-electric Vector trailer refrigeration unit with a new, next-generation electric motor within the wheel hub assembly. It captures energy from braking and stores it in a high-capacity battery. This regenerated energy can power the Vector refrigeration unit with none of the emissions or noise associated with diesel engines. Vector eCool is North America’s only all-electric refrigerated trailer system that fully regenerates while the unit is in motion. It can be paired with an electric tractor for a fully zero-emission tractor-trailer unit for on-highway applications.
• Supra eCool single-temperature electric TRUs for 14- to 28-foot straight trucks operate exclusively on battery-electric power. They can use an electric power takeoff (ePTO) on a battery-electric vehicle (BEV) or, unique to California, can run autonomously on an internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle with a dedicated set of batteries. Penske Truck Leasing will display a Freightliner eM2 electric box truck with a Supra e11 on a 26-foot refrigerated body, an ideal specification for regional and local distribution fleets, at Booth 2430.
• The all-electric Neos 200e is designed for delivery vans and other vehicles with cargo areas of up to 200 cubic feet. It can take power directly from battery-electric vehicles, eliminating fuel consumption, emissions and noise associated with engine-driven systems. It can also use the alternator and battery on conventional engine-driven vehicles, enabling constant temperature control for fresh and frozen items regardless of engine speed. Carrier Transicold will display the Neos 200e on a Ford E-Transit All-Electric Van and insulated body supplied by IVS International, Ladson, South Carolina.
• The Pulsor eCool is specifically designed to use the high-voltage direct current generated by the batteries powering an electric light- and medium-duty commercial vehicle. Because it does not require an additional battery pack or a voltage converter, Pulsor eCool can be a cost-effective and powerful plug-and-play solution for last-mile delivery applications. Motiv Power Systems will showcase its fully integrated Pulsor eCool-equipped zero-emission refrigerated truck at the Carrier Transicold booth.

In addition to the eCool family of TRUs, Carrier Transicold will display a new dedicated power pack for its Supra eCool refrigeration units. The power pack’s advanced lithium-ion batteries and power management system allow the refrigeration unit to operate independently of the truck and can be charged using grid power. The power pack gives fleets a compliance alternative that can meet California’s latest rules on the adoption of zero-emission truck TRUs.

Carrier Transicold will also demonstrate its Lynx Fleet telematics platform, which provides remote battery status, temperature monitoring, unit location and other insights into system performance. Lynx Fleet helps analytics-minded fleet managers examine each unit’s most vital conditions in real-time and recognize longer-term performance trends and patterns.

Penske, Daimler Truck North America and Carrier Transicold Introduce All-Electric Class-7 Refrigerated Truck

Penske Truck Leasing, Daimler Truck North America (DTNA) and Carrier Transicold have collaborated on an all-electric refrigerated medium-duty truck to help leasing customers with temperature-controlled freight realize the financial and environmental benefits that zero-emissions equipment can provide. 

The vehicle, displayed by Penske at the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo held May 20-23 in Las Vegas, combines a Class 7 Freightliner eM2 battery-electric box truck with Carrier Transicold’s Supra e11 eCool electric refrigeration unit on a 26-foot refrigerated body. It is an ideal specification for regional and local fleets seeking regulatory compliance or cleaner, more sustainable options for distributing food and other perishable goods.

Built on Freightliner’s proven M2 106 Plus platform, the Class 7 Freightliner eM2 features a battery-electric Detroit ePowertrain with a typical range of 250 miles on one charge. An electric power takeoff (ePTO) allows the Supra e11 unit to use energy directly from the truck’s high-voltage battery, eliminating fuel consumption, emissions and noise associated with engine-driven systems while providing comparable refrigeration performance.

The Supra e11 includes all-electric, variable-speed components that help extend the vehicle's operating range by more precisely and efficiently matching the power draw required from the battery to the cooling required for the refrigerated cargo. The electric fans and hermetically sealed compressor work quietly while significantly reducing maintenance needs and increasing uptime compared to diesel-driven units.