Prevoté deploys France’s first Sunswap electric transport refrigeration unit on Carrefour frozen routes

Prevoté has put into live operation the first Sunswap electric transport refrigeration unit deployed in France, installed on a new CHEREAU refrigerated trailer serving frozen goods delivery routes for Carrefour.

The deployment marks the first in-service application of Sunswap's Endurance system in France following the UK manufacturer's partnership with CHEREAU, announced at Solutrans 2025 in Lyon. The trailer is operating on single-temperature frozen transport at -20°C across Carrefour delivery flows in the Hauts-de-France and Paris regions.

Endurance gives operators control over refrigeration costs, sustainability impact, and fleet visibility in ways diesel systems don't. Operating costs drop by up to 81% compared to diesel. Fleet managers see real-time temperature and energy data across all trailers through Sunswap's software platform, improving utilisation, monitoring and route planning. The battery and solar system on the trailer removes diesel dependency and works with any truck.

“The results from the trial confirm a 21-hour operating range in frozen condition, demonstrating the high level of performance and technological maturity of the refrigeration unit. While summer temperatures may slightly impact the operating range, the solar panels installed on the trailer roof will largely compensate for this variation and maintain a high level of performance.” Stéphane Bouvry, Purchasing and Fleet Management Manager at Prévoté

Michael Lowe, CEO of Sunswap, said: "Seeing Endurance operating on French supermarket routes through our partnership with CHEREAU demonstrates that electric transport refrigeration is ready for the operational demands of Europe's cold chain networks. This deployment shows that the infrastructure, the integration capability, and the logistics reality all align."

The deployment follows Prevoté's commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 25% under the Objectif CO2 charter, with the family-owned logistics operator dedicating over 50% of annual investment to low-emission vehicle technology.

Transport refrigeration has remained one of the most challenging parts of cold chain logistics to decarbonise, due to a reliance on legacy diesel technology. Sunswap’s battery and solar-powered Endurance system removes that diesel dependency and gives operators more control through on-trailer energy autonomy, alongside a software-first system that improves fleet manager visibility and enables ongoing performance updates.

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