Performance Food Group (PFG) and Navistar, Great Dane, and Carrier Transicold, part of Carrier Global, have come together to develop an all-electric refrigerated truck. PFG, with its collaborators, launched a commercial evaluation program using all-electric refrigeration technology on a battery-electric truck. The truck offers sustainable, direct-emissions-free distribution of refrigerated and frozen food.
The technology was presented at the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo in May, and it features Carrier Transicold's Supra eCool electric truck refrigeration unit. The truck also contains an International eMV Series battery-electric truck with a factory-installed ePower electrical system and a 22-foot Alpine S-Series insulated body by Great Dane.
PFG’s newest vehicle is set to serve the company's operations in California, supporting the food service distributor's sustainability initiatives. Likewise, the implementation of the truck marks an important step toward new regulations that require the adoption of zero-direct emission truck refrigeration technologies in the state.
This collaboration will help PFG realize the potential of transformative battery-electric technologies. Control interface commonalities between the Supra eCool unit and the traditional Supra diesel units used by PFG will help its fleet transition to all-electric refrigeration, according to PFG.
"Mitigating our carbon footprint through the use of advanced technologies helps us to be responsible stewards of the environment," said Jeff Williamson, senior vice president of operations at PFG.
The benefits of electric transport refrigeration technologies go beyond sustainability, as they can also provide life-cycle cost benefits for progressive fleets. "This collaboration marks a significant milestone in the industry's transformation from traditional approaches to cleaner, quiet, direct-emissions-free solutions," said Alice DeBiasio, vice president and general manager of Truck Trailer Americas and Digital Solutions for Carrier.
PFG is one of the largest food distribution companies in North America with more than 150 locations, and its collaboration with Navistar, Great Dane, and Carrier Transicold offers tremendous potential in helping PFG achieve mitigating its carbon footprint through the use of advanced technologies, the company said.
