Refrigerated transportation specialist Tevex Logistics, a Premium Food Group subsidiary based in Germany, is adding two new Schmitz Cargobull reefer vehicles to its fleet: an all-electric S.KOe Cool box trailer and an S.KO Cool box trailer equipped with an S.CU d80 ePTO-ready cooling unit.
These are the first deliveries from an order of 166 total refrigerated box trailers placed last year during the IAA trade fair, the company reported.
During a visit to the Vreden production plant, Andreas Schmitz, CEO of Schmitz Cargobull, Frank Reppenhagen, director of the West Europe region, and Rene Lemke, regional sales manager for Bielefeld, officially handed over the two “electrified” trailers to Dirk Mutlak, the managing director of Tevex, and Sven Masuhr, head of carrier management at Tevex. The ceremony included a presentation on the trailers’ advantages and a practical demonstration.
The S.KO Cool trailer features shared branding for both Tevex and Schmitz Cargobull and also is marked with information about the ePTO interface.
“With these two innovations in energy supply, we are enhancing our cutting-edge fleet and making huge strides toward decarbonization,” Mutlak said in a news release. “On this journey, we are investing in all of the latest technologies and are very happy with the advanced solutions created by our long-standing partner Schmitz Cargobull. With Schmitz Cargobull refrigerated vehicles, we can achieve considerable CO2 savings thanks to the outstanding k-value.”
Emission-free reefer equipment
An ePTO (electric power take-off) on the electric tractor unit allows auxiliary equipment, such as the transport refrigeration unit (TRU) on a reefer trailer, to run purely on electricity. The TRU can be a purely electric or diesel-powered unit. The Schmitz Cargobull S.CU d80 ePTO-ready system can be run exclusively on electrical energy when combined with an e-truck. The electric tractor’s traction battery supplies the transport cooling unit with electrical energy via the ePTO. The S.CU d80 ePTO-ready remains equipped with a diesel generator set, which supplies the cooling unit with energy if the electrical power supply fails.
Additionally, the control in the S.CU cooling unit automatically switches back and forth between the ePTO and the diesel generator, ensuring the S.CU always remains operational thanks to the two different energy sources. This is the ideal solution for refrigerated logistics providers as it guarantees maximum flexibility within a mixed fleet, regardless of the drive system and truck brand.
Schmitz Cargobull launched the all-electric S.KOe COOL trailer to support emission-free temperature-controlled transportation. The trailer is equipped with an electric cooling unit with built-in power electronics, a high-voltage battery system, and an electric generator axle. The type-approved Schmitz Cargobull generator axle recuperates energy from certain speeds and during braking maneuvers, thereby extending the cooling unit’s operating time and reducing the time needed to recharge the battery via the power grid. With its battery capacity of 32 kWh, stand-alone electrical operation of 4.5 to 18 hours can be ensured without the need to recharge via the generator axle or the power grid, depending on usage and requirements.
The CEE three-phase connection installed on the cooling unit is used to recharge from the power grid, a process that takes about two hours, Schmitz Cargobull concluded.
“We have enjoyed a successful bond and working relationship with Tevex Logistics for many years now,” Schmitz said. “With the box body semi-trailers delivered today, we are once again raising the bar for economically efficient and sustainable temperature-controlled transport.
Our new S.CU d80 cooling unit with an ePTO interface offers maximum flexibility. It is able to run exclusively on electric energy and—thanks to an additional diesel drive—can still guarantee full supply reliability, even in the event of an electrical power failure. As there is no high-voltage battery or electric axle, we are also able to keep investment costs low for the transport company—an important step toward future-viable, sustainable refrigerated transport.”
