Carrier, partners design electric Class 7 reefer
Penske Truck Leasing, Daimler Truck North America (DTNA), and Carrier Transicold recently collaborated on an all-electric refrigerated medium-duty truck to help leasing customers with temperature-controlled freight realize the financial and environmental benefits that zero-emissions equipment can provide.
The vehicle, showcased during the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo this week in Las Vegas, combines a Class 7 Freightliner eM2 battery-electric box truck with Carrier Transicold’s Supra e11 eCool electric refrigeration unit on a 26-foot refrigerated body. The vehicle is spec’d for regional and local fleets seeking regulatory compliance or cleaner, more sustainable options for distributing food and other perishable goods, the partners reported.
“The Freightliner eM2 and Carrier Supra e11 are ideally matched to deliver the performance and efficiency our customers expect from a refrigerated vocational truck, with the advantages and peace of mind that come with full-service leasing,” Paul Rosa, Penske senior vice president for procurement and fleet planning, said in a news release.
Built on Freightliner’s M2 106 Plus platform, the Class 7 Freightliner eM2 features a battery-electric Detroit ePowertrain with a typical range of 250 miles on one charge. An electric power takeoff (ePTO) allows the Supra e11 unit to use energy directly from the truck’s high-voltage battery, eliminating fuel consumption, emissions, and noise associated with engine-driven systems while providing comparable refrigeration performance.
The Supra e11 includes all-electric, variable-speed components that help extend the vehicle’s operating range by more precisely and efficiently matching the power draw required from the battery to the cooling required for the refrigerated cargo. The electric fans and hermetically sealed compressor work quietly while reducing maintenance needs and increasing uptime compared to diesel-driven units.
“Following the successful expansion of our electric product portfolio with the Freightliner eM2 last year, it is critical to maintain this momentum and see the eM2 vehicles now begin to be operated in customer applications,” said David Carson, DTNA SVP of sales and marketing.
Carrier introduced the Supra e11 refrigeration unit in 2023 to help fleets meet California Air Resources Board (CARB) standards for deploying trucks with zero-emission refrigeration technologies. The engineless Supra e11 unit provides comparable refrigeration performance to Carrier’s diesel-powered Supra S10 unit without the associated emissions or noise.
“This collaboration is part of our commitment to bring Carrier’s Supra eCool family of electric refrigeration units to the industry’s most popular medium-duty truck platforms,” said Alice DeBiasio, Carrier VP and general manager for truck trailer Americas and digital solutions. “This is an ideal vehicle for local and regional fleets that want to transition to a zero-emission medium-duty refrigerated truck, backed by the expertise and support of three industry leaders.”
