The South African trucking sector is slowly but surely heading towards eco-friendly transport solutions to counter global warming with small pockets of excellence arising in various guises. Yet another example of this has come to light via the delivery by Serco of six cutting-edge refrigerated trailers equipped with electric axle-driven systems to two leading transporters. The deal ties in with Serco’s commitment to sustainability and reducing diesel consumption.
The new trailers are fitted with BPW’s ePower axle and Thermo King refrigeration units, incorporating advanced power management technology. The smart energy-generating system harnesses energy recovered by the trailer’s axle during routine operation, providing the necessary power to run the refrigeration unit.
The AxlePower system powers the fridge unit without requiring a grid connection, resulting in significant environmental benefits. According to Clinton Holcroft, CEO of Serco, estimates suggest that each trailer will save up to 27 tons of CO2 annually compared to traditional diesel-powered refrigeration systems.
“The ability to generate and reuse energy makes this system an ideal solution for enhancing the sustainability of trailer journeys. This innovation aligns with our dedication to providing eco-friendly and efficient transport solutions,” says Holcraft.
Serco’s delivery of these electric axle-driven trailers is a significant step towards a greener future, setting new standards for efficiency and sustainability in the transport industry.
About the BPW ePower axle.
BPW ePower is a generator axle that intelligently produces electricity while moving.
It is a new axle module developed by the engineers at BPW that recovers energy when the trailer is moving, enabling a carbon-neutral and quiet supply of power to the likes of refrigeration units for temperature-controlled transport.
But it can be put to other totally different uses too in the future (like powering tail lifts, pumps and external current collectors). Different operating modes make sure that energy is managed intelligently and therefore, that the system in question is ideally supplied with electricity as needed—even on longer journeys or in traffic jams.
How it works
Similar to a bike dynamo, ePower converts wheel rotation into energy and temporarily stores it in a backup battery before feeding it into the system as needed. Recuperation (i.e. braking) also recovers lost energy and feeds it back into the system too. But one crucial difference is that the system does not carry current until it is input by the inverter. What’s more, the two generators only ever supply the amount of energy that is really needed at any given time.
Whether food or medicine: refrigerated transport is vital—however, the demands on the sustainability of transport are increasing. With BPW and Thermo King, two technology leaders in the transport industry, they have joined forces to help climate-efficient refrigerated transport achieve a breakthrough.
The solution is based on a modular component kit that enables the diverse application scenarios in refrigerated transport to be implemented in a low-noise and climate-friendly way.
All components can be seamlessly integrated into the Thermo King product range and into BPW’s modular chassis system, are independent of the towing vehicle and can be installed in existing trailer architectures.
FleetWatch lifts it hat to Serco, BPW and Thermo King on going this route. And of course, to Digistics, for stepping forward as a visionary transport operator in the interests of sustainability.
