Carrier Transicold is rolling out two single-temperature electric truck refrigeration units this year as the foundation of its new Supra eCool series.The Supra eCool electric units will cover 14- to 28-foot, medium-duty Class 5 to 7 straight truck applications and are designed for fleets seeking regulatory compliance or simply cleaner, more sustainable options.

According to the manufacturer, the engineless Supra e9 and e11 units will provide comparable refrigeration performance to Carrier Transicold’s diesel-powered Supra S8 and S10 units.

Supra eCool units feature:

• Zero-emissions performance – Using a direct-current electric power source, the unit eliminates fuel consumption, emissions and noise associated with engine-driven systems.

• Increased range and high refrigeration capacity – Designed for a full day’s use, the refrigeration performance is on par with conventional diesel systems.

• Reduced service requirements – Maintenance-free electric evaporator and condenser fans, and a sealed electric compressor, reduce maintenance needs.

• More environmentally sustainable refrigerant – The unit uses R-452A, a refrigerant with a global warming potential (GWP) 45% lower than the traditional refrigerant used in transport applications.

• Lynx Fleet telematics – Carrier Transicold’s telematics solution is factory installed for remote monitoring of temperatures, location, movement, battery state of charge and system operating performance. (Service plan required.)

“Supra eCool units are versatile when it comes to their power supply source,” said Bill Maddox, senior manager of product management, Truck Trailer Americas, Carrier Transicold. “They can take power directly from battery-electric vehicles or, when used with conventional engine-driven trucks, the units can run autonomously using their own power pack.

"This makes them especially well-suited for fleets in California that are now required to begin adding zero-emissions truck refrigeration units, which may be installed on trucks with battery-electric or engine-driven powertrains.”

In BEV applications, Carrier noted that the Supra eCool interface provides a high-voltage interlock with the vehicle’s battery and communicates to the vehicle using a proprietary CAN bus system.

For applications where a separate power source is required, Carrier Transicold has developed a 38-kWh high-voltage DC power pack with a built-in water-cooled temperature management system. The power pack uses a high-power DC fast-charging system.

The Supra eCool design includes a variable-speed electric scroll compressor and an electronic expansion valve in the evaporator, which help to extend the operating range by more precisely and efficiently matching power draw from the battery to the cooling need at hand.

Commercial availability in North America is slated for later this year to help California fleets comply with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) deadline of Dec. 31 to convert 15% of their refrigerated trucks to zero-emission refrigeration technologies.