Thermo King®, a leader in temperature control solutions for transportation and a brand of Trane Technologies, recently announced that three new refrigerated trailers equipped with the Advancer AxlePower energy recovery system have started operating in the Netherlands.
The three semi-trailers are part of the TIP Group fleet and are operated by Herbert SAS, Tielbeke Transport BV and Wezenberg Transport BV for deliveries of Albert Heijn, the largest supermarket chain in the Netherlands.

The project opens the door to the use of zero-emission refrigerated semi-trailers and is the result of a collaboration between Thermo King, BPW Bergische Achsen KG, a leader in running mechanisms and mobility services for transport, and the supplier of services for TIP Group equipment.
Advancer AxlePower is a fully integrated, tractor-independent system that combines BPW's ePower axle with Thermo King's refrigeration unit and power management technology and it’s developed in collaboration with BPW.

The trailers operating for Albert Heijn are equipped with Thermo King's PIEK Advancer A-500 Whisper-Pro certified refrigeration units and BPW's ePower axles. AxlePower's intelligent energy generation system supplies the energy needed to operate the trailer's refrigeration unit by converting the energy recovered from the trailer's axle during normal vehicle operation.

The system stores the energy in a high-voltage battery during driving or braking of the vehicle and reuses it to power the refrigeration unit, enabling fully electric, low/no-emission, self-contained semi-trailer refrigeration. The battery, which is charged while the trailer is in motion, supplies the unit autonomously even when the trailer is stationary. Featuring intelligent power management that controls the engagement and disengagement of the generators, Advancer AxlePower also minimizes drag on the tractor unit and provides the driver and fleet manager with maximum real-time charge visibility to avoid so-called “work anxiety".

The ability to recover and reuse energy makes the Advancer AxlePower system the ideal solution to increase the sustainability of all types of trailer travel and secure the future.
This technology enables customers to make sustainable long-haul and city deliveries, even in ultra-low emission zones (ULEZs) and low-noise urban areas, thanks to no CO2 emissions and silent operation from the refrigeration unit when running on battery power.