Eurocold Revora EV is driving a real change in refrigerated transport, creating solutions that tackle the challenges of moving temperature-sensitive goods with electric power across a range of business needs. Going electric isn’t just about the trucks. It’s about working together to find practical solutions, which takes time, investment, and fresh thinking.
Eurocold has undertaken extensive research and development to find the best vehicle options for the Australian refrigerated transport market. This approach acknowledges that different businesses have different needs. The company has strategically developed a range of electric refrigerated vehicles, each designed for specific uses and load sizes. This includes:
- Foton T5 3 Pallet: Designed for everyday distribution and city deliveries, offering a good balance of load capacity and ease of movement.
- Volvo Electric FL 8 Pallet: Designed for larger jobs, like regional distribution and moving larger quantities of goods, maximising how much can be carried.
- Ford E-Transit 2 Pallet: Designed for final deliveries and smaller, more frequent deliveries, focusing on being easy to manoeuvre in cities.
This range of vehicles demonstrates Eurocold’s commitment to providing practical and adaptable solutions for the refrigerated transport industry.
The Ford E-Transit project shows the design and technical steps involved in making electric vehicles work for refrigeration. While the E-Transit is comparable to diesel vehicles in cost and how much it can carry, integrating a reliable and efficient refrigeration system presented design considerations.
Eurocold addressed the specific design considerations of adapting the Ford E-Transit for refrigerated transport in two key areas: designing a reliable power solution for the refrigeration unit and adapting the refrigerated body to the E-Transit chassis.
Refrigeration Power System Design:
“The real opportunity – and the real challenge – was in designing scalable and robust power solution for refrigeration for the E-Transit,” explains Clayton Nel. “It’s wasn’t just about the chassis, which is a great chassis straight from the factory; it’s about the entire operational ecosystem. To solve this, in many ways, we’ve taken inspiration from the resourcefulness of the Australian camping community in solving off-grid power challenges. But we’re applying that ingenuity to commercial logistics.”
A core aspect of the design was ensuring a consistent and adequate power supply for the refrigeration unit. Unlike traditional diesel systems where the engine directly drives the compressor which power the fridge, electric vehicles require a different approach to powering the fridge unit. The Ford E-Transit, like many battery electric vehicles (BEVs), doesn’t easily provide a way to power other equipment directly from its main battery. This means we needed to develop a dedicated power solution for the fridge.
Eurocold’s design for the E-Transit, and similar vehicles, involves a carefully planned auxiliary power system to maintain cooling and work in harmony with the vehicle’s driving range. This design incorporates:
- A separate, dedicated high-capacity lithium battery to power the refrigeration unit.
- Components to manage the flow of power and keep the batteries in good condition.
- Safety systems and high-quality wiring to ensure efficient power delivery and protect the electrical circuits.
Refrigerated Body Integration:
The second key design consideration was adapting the refrigerated body to the E-Transit chassis. While Eurocold utilised expertise by sourcing a body from an experienced Italian kit provider, the E-Transit’s unique shape, which differs from its ICE equivalent, required adjustments to ensure proper fitment. These size differences meant some local design and modification were necessary to ensure the refrigerated body worked effectively on the E-Transit platform.
As noted by Clayton Nel, “In the end, we purchased a body from an experienced Italian provider, continuing with world best in class, but this was still a journey where we needed to modify the kit locally to suit that chassis. The body size issues required local adaptation to suit the E-Transit. This refrigerated electric van is now ready to operate.” This highlights the design considerations in making existing technology fit a new type of vehicle. The installation involves several steps, including modifications to the battery tray, running cables, and installing isolator modules. These design changes are all part of making a dependable refrigerated electric vehicle.
Beyond addressing these design considerations, thermal efficiency is of paramount importance. Eurocold recognises that reducing the load on the refrigeration system is essential for maximising vehicle range and operational efficiency. This necessitates advanced body construction, incorporating cutting-edge insulation materials and techniques to create a highly effective isothermal envelope that minimises heat transfer. This focus on keeping the load space at the right temperature, along with effective refrigeration power systems, is crucial for the operational viability of electric refrigerated transport.
Eurocold’s CEO, Avraam Solomon, emphasises the pioneering nature of this work and the need for collaborative investment to drive industry-wide progress: ‘We are developing a range of electric refrigerated solutions to meet diverse market needs. We really see the Ford E-Transit solution, specifically the 2P Van EV Ford E-Transit with a over a 100 kilometre range, 1,100kg payload, and a monthly comparable to a traditional ICE vehicle, as a game changer for the market. However, widespread adoption and the full realisation of this technology’s potential require a concerted effort from the entire industry. This is about more than just building vehicles; it’s about investing in a sustainable and scalable future for temperature-controlled logistics.”
Eurocold is committed to driving innovation in electric refrigerated transport, offering practical solutions for various operational requirements. The company encourages industry partners and other businesses to invest in and adopt these new technologies to ensure they become successful and widely used.
