U.K. logistics company KM Transport Limited, a regional distributor for a major supermarket, reports achieving a “four-figure monthly saving” on diesel after fitting seven refrigerated trucks with Hultsteins’ Ecogen CostSaver system.
Ecogen’s on-board generator allows existing diesel-powered transport refrigeration units (TRUs) to run on its built-in electric motor. The Ecogen2 can be retrofitted to any tractor with an engine power take-off, according to Hultsteins. The unit generates 400 volts and easily connects to the reefer unit’s motor via a five-pin plug.
“We rented one unit to start, so we could establish what savings were achievable,” Marian Dudziak, Hultsteins director, said in a news release. “When I did the calculations, it just made complete sense, so we fitted the rest of the fleet in the summer of 2023. The Ecogen units are saving us around [$3,786-$5,048] per month in diesel costs and reducing our carbon by around 8 to 9 metric tons [8.8-9.9 U.S. tons] per month.”
Retrofitting Ecogen units to its existing Renault tractors allowed KM Transport to modernize its equipment without the “significant” additional cost and time required to purchase new TRUs, the carrier said.
Shifting from diesel to electric-powered TRUs can slash DPM (diesel particulate matter) emissions by 98% and reduce NOx by “at least four times,” Hultsteins maintained, providing an “optimum sustainable solution.”
“We found further savings on the fridge’s diesel engine [repair and maintenance], as the system is mainly running on electric,” Marian added.
“It also allowed us to keep our existing trailers. We didn’t need to get rid of our existing trailers just because we were looking for a different way to power the refrigeration units. By fitting one Ecogen to a tractor unit, we effectively transform every temp-controlled trailer it couples up with to an electric fridge.
“Plus, each time I change my tractors, Ecogen can be swapped easily and quickly onto the new one.”
