Clarios launches trailer battery manager, supporting cold-chain and liftgate operation

By attaching sensors and gateways, the Clarios system monitors battery health and can detect issues such as disconnected power or deep discharge.
Jan. 8, 2026
2 min read

Key takeaways

  • Clarios expanded its battery monitoring platform to include trailer batteries.
  • The expansion is particularly useful for refrigerated trailers and liftgate operations.
  • The program involves an installation fee and a subscription model.
79792277 | Typhoonski | Dreamstime.com
Clarios launches trailer battery manager, supportng cold-chain and lift gate operation

LAS VEGAS—Global battery company Clarios announced an expansion to its Connected Services Platform here at the Consumer Electronics Show: the Trailer Battery Manager, a new feature with the potential to support refrigerated trailers and liftgate operation.

The feature is an expansion of the company’s digital solution for monitoring heavy-duty truck low-voltage tractor batteries. It gathers real-time insights into trailer battery health and charge status. The company says that its solution helps operators avoid liftgate failures and is especially relevant for refrigerated transport. Fleet managers can better ensure that cooling systems run continuously and notice when batteries are nearing the end of their useful service life.

The solution requires a regular subscription and a one-time equipment installation fee to get started. The installation adds a sensor and gateway to the batteries, recording and transmitting battery data every few moments, similar to Clarios’ IdleLess program announced last April.

One fleet’s question started the Trailer Battery Manager

Steve Fecht | Scott Fosgard Communications
Cagatay Topcu Clarios

Speaking to industry journalists is Cagatay Topcu, VP of connected service for Clarios. 

A few months prior, Clarios had launched the tractor-specific version of the Battery Manager that could monitor batteries and provide actionable insights via a web portal. One of the fleet customers asked if Clarios could also help with the trailer’s batteries.

“We didn’t know they had a problem with the trailer batteries,” Cagatay Topcu, VP of connected service for Clarios, told industry journalists here in Las Vegas.

A few weeks after attaching the battery sensors and gateways, the company noticed two problems related to liftgate operation. “They are pulling the trailer without the power cord, and drivers are forgetting that,” Topcu said. “The second one is that sometimes the trailer is sitting so much in the yard, the batteries are deep discharged; the batteries are damaged.”

Clarios was able to identify both problems with its solution: When the liftgate’s power supply is disconnected, a notification to the driver can resolve the issue; when a stationary trailer has a low battery, Clarios can provide the trailer’s GPS location to identify the equipment.

About the Author

Jeremy Wolfe
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Jeremy Wolfe

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Editor Jeremy Wolfe joined the FleetOwner team in February 2024. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point with majors in English and Philosophy. He previously served as Editor for Endeavor Business Media's Water Group publications.

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