Thermo King Facilitates Adoption of the AxlePower Self-Charging Cooling System, Accelerating Sustainable Trailer Refrigeration

New TCO analysis tool, pan-European homologation, and long-term rental options, aim to accelerate adoption of electric trailer refrigeration technology across the EMEA markets.

Thermo King®, a leader in transport temperature control solutions and a brand of Trane Technologies, has launched new initiatives to support customers on their journey to electrify fleets, including the adoption of the AxlePower energy recovery system across Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). These initiatives include customer-centric tools like the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) calculator, a flexible long-term rental offering, and pan-European homologation of the system. By simplifying integration and delivering clear, easily measurable benefits, Thermo King is empowering businesses to transition towards sustainable and efficient electrically refrigerated transport.

“The cold chain plays a vital role in ensuring the safety and quality of food products, but the energy consumption, reliance on fossil fuels and resulting emissions pose a significant challenge. A key area of innovation is the development of electrified transport refrigeration solutions,” said Wouter Roels, aftermarket and digital services leader for Thermo King EMEA. “With AxlePower, we have delivered an innovative energy recovery technology that allows self-charging electric trailer refrigeration without impacting the tractor’s fuel consumption. Now, we have made it more accessible to customers by ensuring pan-European homologation, and we can offer it for purchase or rent. Moreover, we’ve developed a tool that provides accurate estimations on operating costs savings and CO₂ emission reductions to support informed decision-making.”

The key enablers designed to accelerate and assist businesses in integrating Thermo King AxlePower technology into their fleets are:

• Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) calculator: This modelling tool tailored specifically for AxlePower, allows customers to comprehensively analyse the TCO, estimate CO₂ savings compared to engine-powered refrigeration systems, and predict payback times. This enables fleet managers to make informed decisions based on their specific operational requirements.
• Flexible rental programme: This new Thermo King programme allows transporters to rent pre-installed refrigerated AxlePower trailers under long-term contracts without up-front investment and financial risk. Rentals include full maintenance services, regular monitoring of trailer usage and system performance, and performance tracking through Thermo King online platforms. Customers can experience the benefits of AxlePower with options to extend the rental or return it after the 12-month minimum rental period.
• Pan-European homologation: Ensuring standardised registration and compliance across major markets, this eliminates regulatory barriers and facilitates smoother adoption of the AxlePower technology throughout Europe.

“Our customers across EMEA can now proactively evaluate the features and performance based on their individual operations, and thanks to the long-term rental opportunities, have a hands-on experience before committing to full-scale implementation,” said Wouter Roels.

Thermo King AxlePower: electric cooling that is powered by the road. 

AxlePower is an innovative technology for trailer refrigeration units that can reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 12 tonnes per year for distribution trailers. The system recovers energy from the vehicle during braking or going downhill without impacting the tractor’s fuel consumption, stores the energy in battery packs and reuses it to power the refrigeration unit, eliminating the need for connection to external power grids. Designed for seamless integration into existing fleets, AxlePower is tractor-independent and delivers low-noise, high-powered performance in both hybrid and fully electric refrigeration units.

The system leverages proprietary smart power management, which dynamically monitors road conditions and driving operations to maximise kinetic and thermal energy recovered by the trailer’s
e-axle. The sophisticated control system also disengages the e-axle during uphill climbs, avoiding unnecessary fuel consumption.

AxlePower-equipped trailers have been operating in a wide range of ambient conditions, from the harsh climates of Scandinavia to the hot temperatures at the tip of Africa. Over the past 12 months, the 9 most active Axle Power trailers in circulation across three countries (Sweden, the Netherlands, and South Africa) have cumulated more than 1 million kilometers and 13,500 hours of electric cooling, all without being connected to the power grid.