As the move toward electric delivery vans gains traction, Thermo King has partnered with electric vehicle maker Chanje to create a fully integrated refrigerated version of its V8100 all-electric last-mile delivery van. The van showcases a Thermo King V-520 RT refrigeration unit and ThermoLite solar panels. Thermo King says this prototype vehicle paves the way for the future of deliveries and sustainability in the transport industry.

Thermo King said it was the first company to offer European customers a hybrid and non-diesel truck and trailer refrigeration unit solution. Currently, there are more than 20,000 trucks and trailers on the road with these all-electric technologies.

"Our work with Chanje is one of several examples of how we are strategically focusing our investments and partnerships to evolve technology that will innovate our products to deliver the right solutions, at the right time, for our global customer base," said Dane Taival, vice president and general manager, Transport Solutions North America.

 “The global refrigerated vehicle market is expected to reach $16.5 billion by 2022. In the U.S., we are seeing increasing demand for medium duty, last-mile refrigerated solutions due to a steady increase in consumers doing their shopping online and expecting fast home deliveries,” says Ian Televik, Chanje director of marketing. “This was a key reason we partnered with Thermo King to create a vehicle to meet this ever-growing demand.”

In North America, Thermo King is partnering with several chassis manufacturers, such as Chanje, to demonstrate all-electric solutions in a variety of capacities and gather input from the field to optimize future product offerings.