Carrier Transicold Tuesday unveiled its revolutionary new zero-emission electric truck refrigeration technology, which the company says demonstrates a path forward for refrigerated transporters who want to incorporate more sustainable systems into their fleets.
The product was announced at the ACT Expo in Long Beach, Calif.
Designed to provide maximum range and refrigeration capacities similar to those now only achieved by diesel-powered truck systems, the engineless Supra technology will be applied to battery electric vehicles (BEVs) or to run autonomously with conventional engine-driven trucks. This will make it especially well-suited for businesses in California that must introduce zero-emissions truck refrigeration units into their fleets by the end of 2023 in compliance with proposed California Air Resources Board (CARB) requirements, Carrier Transicold says.
“Carrier Transicold has a solid record of developing industry-leading sustainable refrigeration technologies for the safe transport of perishable and frozen goods, and our new electric Supra concept builds on this legacy with its quiet emissions-free design,” says Scott Parker, product manager, Truck Products, Carrier Transicold.
“The Supra zero-emission design completely removes the diesel engine from the equation,” Parker adds. “It takes advantage of many of the system design, performance and efficiency enhancements that we recently introduced with our diesel-powered Supra series platform. As we upgraded our Supra line, we had an eye on the future, anticipating that the road ahead would require more sustainable, zero-emission technologies.”
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Like Carrier Transicold’s Vector trailer refrigeration systems, the electric Supra unit uses E-Drive technology, a uniquely all-electric refrigeration architecture that couples efficient performance with reduced maintenance requirements.
Carrier Transicold says features and benefits of the Supra zero-emission design include:
- Efficient zero-emissions performance: Utilizing a direct-current electric power source, the unit eliminates fuel consumption, emissions and noise associated with engine-driven systems.
- Maximum Range and High Capacity: The unit is being designed for full-day’s use with refrigeration performance on par with conventional diesel systems.
- Reduced service requirements: E-Drive technology uses maintenance-free electric evaporator and condenser fans and a sealed electric compressor, eliminating many typical serviceable items, such as belts, pulleys and shaft seals.
- More environmentally sustainable refrigerant: Using R-452A, with a global warming potential (GWP) that is 45 percent lower than today’s standard refrigerant, the electric Supra would meet CARB’s pending requirement that new transport refrigeration units use refrigerants with a GWP lower than 2,200 beginning in 2023.
The electric Supra unit requires a direct-current power supply. In the case of a non-electric truck this can be a dedicated battery module, Carrier Transicold says, and in BEV applications the electric Supra unit can draw energy from the truck’s battery pack. Carrier’s propriety power-management technologies maximize refrigeration unit performance and battery life for daily delivery operations.
Full North American commercial availability is slated by 2023 so fleets can comply with CARB’s proposed deadline of Dec. 31, 2023, to convert 15 percent of their refrigerated trucks to zero-emission refrigeration technologies, the company adds.
