How Electrification and AxlePower Drive a More Sustainable Cold Chain

Electrification and e-axle solutions are reshaping refrigerated transport by recovering energy and lowering fuel and maintenance costs.

Few people consider where the power for a refrigerated trailer’s cooling unit comes from. Our work and innovation focus precisely on that question. The Thermo King Advancer AxlePower electric axle solution is redefining how refrigerated transport is powered through electrification, by delivering a system that is more efficient, sustainable and economical.

Two subsystems, one integrated solution

The architecture of the AxlePower solution can be understood as two closely integrated subsystems.

The first consists of generators mounted directly on the vehicle’s axle, converting the mechanical energy of motion into electrical power. The second is our electrical control subsystem, an intelligent energy management system that stores power in a battery and delivers it to the refrigeration unit precisely when needed.

Because these subsystems communicate so effectively, the system draws and stores only the power required at any given moment. This level of coordination allows the refrigeration unit to operate in full electric mode for most of its duty cycle.

Recovering energy that would otherwise be lost

During development, we validated this solution across 18 distinct road test profiles throughout Europe. Braking events and elevation changes generate substantial recuperative energy that, without heat recovery, is simply dissipated as heat.

Our initial instinct was to compensate for increasing energy needs by specifying larger generators. Instead, we determined the more effective engineering solution was a system to capture and store that recuperated energy for use.

This is the core advantage of the AxlePower solution: it operates much like an electric thermal energy storage system, recovering braking energy and making it available to meet the refrigeration unit’s cooling demands, rather than letting it go to waste.

A better total cost of ownership through electrification

A common objection to electric solutions is upfront cost, often framed as: my current refrigeration unit already performs adequately, so what am I gaining? This perspective overlooks the full cost structure. Diesel fuel and ongoing maintenance are continuous expenses that accumulate over the product’s operating life, a reality inherent to mechanical systems.

Electric systems substantially reduce that burden. They require less maintenance, can eliminate fuel costs, and in more than half of real-world use cases, do not require a grid connection at all. The result is a meaningfully lower total cost of ownership.

When addressing range anxiety, we demonstrate this directly to customers using their own data. By reviewing a full year of usage through our digital solutions and telematics platform, we can show precisely how much energy a given operation actually requires. Across two years of testing, we have consistently found that 80 to 90 percent of customers utilize less than half of the available energy capacity.

An engineered system, not an assembled one

Electrification presented an opportunity to innovate at a fundamental level, rather than simply integrating off-the-shelf components under a new label. We design our own power electronics, develop our own software and integrate every system in-house. This ground-up approach is what enables genuine differentiation in the AxlePower solution.

The most effective solution for long-haul transportation will be a fully integrated one: a power-agnostic platform with sufficient capacity to meet most energy demands, capable of interfacing with sustainable energy solutions like solar, an electric power take-off (ePTO) system or an e-axle. And, the greatest value will be delivered by layering intelligent controls on top of that foundation, enabling customers to optimize performance for their specific applications. 

Original blog: https://www.tranetechnologies.com/en/index/blog/solutions-innovation/electrification-and-axlepower.html