Food service provider Brakes is testing the performance of two new Frigoblock-refrigerated electric multi-temperature HGVs. The trial is monitoring the performance of a 19 tonne Electra truck, fitted with the EK25 Frigoblok and a 19 tonne DAF LF, fitted with Frigoblok FK2 refrigeration unit, as they make deliveries to Brakes’ customers.

The pilot involving the Electra truck was launched in the Midlands in late 2022, while the pilot of the DAF LF truck, which is operating from Brakes’ Reading depot, began in January this year.

“Our vehicles in the UK cover almost 60 million miles a year making our fleet’s transformation to zero-emissions a central element in achieving our company’s ambitious decarbonisation targets and helping our customers with theirs. Frigoblock and Thermo King have been our partners for years and we counted on their expertise in finding the right electric transport refrigeration for our new zero-emission vehicles,” said Paul Vernon, Head of Fleet for Sysco GB, Brakes’ parent company.

Vernon said the trial of the EK25 refrigeration system has delivered even better performance, in terms of temperature recovery, on the Electra HGV than it has previously on a traditional, diesel-powered truck. “We have been operating Frigoblock’s electric EK25 refrigeration systems in our fleet for years. Their performance and reliability are exceptional, coupled with low total cost of ownership on account of little maintenance requirements and quick return on investment. We were delighted to find out they can seamlessly work with our new electric HGV.”

“With this electric vehicle, we could go into the city centre like Birmingham, and as soon the driver closed the door, the Frigoblock unit brought the temperature in the load compartment back to the set temperature, even before the vehicle moved on. This is extraordinary and keeps our products ideally maintained,” Vernon added.

The second DAF LF truck, equipped with the next generation Frigoblock FK2, has been trialled since January 2023 from the company’s site in Reading, which operates a sloar panel system.

The unit’s telematics provide Brakes with full, 24/7 visibility of the unit’s operation, remote monitoring, and proactive control, allowing the company to track the unit’s operation at any time, and demonstrate the temperature set points across every journey.