Noble Foods and Sunswap take electric refrigeration into the city

For the first time Noble Foods has fitted Sunswap Endurance to an urban trailer, with a solution that uses the Endurance battery to charge the tail-lift battery, taking electric refrigeration to a different delivery environment.

One year into their electric refrigeration partnership, Noble Foods and Sunswap are extending their work together with the installation of Endurance on its urban trailer. The development also represents an engineering first for Sunswap, using the Endurance battery to charge the trailer tail-lift battery, extending its capabilities beyond refrigeration.

Developed in response to an operational challenge identified by Noble Foods, the solution removes the need for traditional tail-lift charging cables to the tractor, helping to reduce disruption and support more reliable, efficient, cleaner and quieter urban deliveries.

Across its refrigerated fleet of 40 Endurance units, Noble Foods has completed 3.3 million miles (5.3 million km), saving 48,700 litres of diesel and avoiding 126,514 kg of CO2. These results demonstrate the benefits of electric transport refrigeration in everyday operations supporting deliveries for household brands including the happy egg co.

The urban trailer, manufactured by Gray & Adams, features a charging solution engineered by Sunswap that addresses a common cause of delivery disruption, reducing maintenance and replacement costs while offering greater operational flexibility.

Using electric technology to do more

The development began with a challenge from Noble Foods: find a more reliable way to charge the tail-lift on its urban delivery trailer.

Traditionally, tail-lift batteries are charged using a cable connected to the tractor unit. These cables can be lost, damaged or stolen, resulting in costly replacements, delays and disruption to deliveries.

Sunswap's engineering team developed a solution that uses the battery housed within Endurance to charge the tail-lift battery, removing the need for an external charging cable or a power connection to the tractor.

This reduces the risk of disruption and allows the tail-lift to operate independently of the tractor's power supply, reducing the need for engine idling to support charging. The benefits are particularly relevant for urban deliveries, where frequent stops, noise and emissions are important considerations.

Endurance also powers the trailer’s onboard camera for safety and security, and a warning light that alerts operators when the Endurance battery is running low.

The development demonstrates how electric technology already installed for refrigeration can be used to solve additional operational challenges, making better use of equipment on the trailer.

Nikolai Tauber, Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer at Sunswap, said:

"Noble Foods came to us with a problem to solve. Traditional tail-lift charging cables were creating unnecessary disruption, so we looked at how we could use the Endurance battery to remove that dependency.

"This is the first time we’ve used the Endurance battery to charge a tail-lift battery, alongside its primary role powering refrigeration. We've engineered a solution that removes the reliance on a connection to the tractor and addresses a genuine operational challenge. It's a good example of how electric technology gives us greater flexibility to develop practical solutions around the way our customers operate."

Built around the customer

The new urban trailer is manufactured by Gray & Adams, which has a longstanding relationship with Noble Foods and supplies trailers for its existing Endurance fleet.

Developed around Noble Foods’ operational requirements, the solution demonstrates how collaboration between the customer, trailer manufacturer and technology provider can address practical challenges and improve everyday fleet operations.

For Sunswap, this reflects a wider approach to fleet electrification: understanding how customers operate, engineering technology around their requirements and providing the ongoing support needed to improve fleet performance.

Michael Lowe, Co-founder and CEO of Sunswap, said:

“One year on, Noble Foods has 40 Endurance units in operation. Bringing Endurance into their urban delivery operations shows what can be achieved when you design technology around the customer and the challenges they face. It is the first time we’ve used the Endurance battery for anything other than refrigeration.

“Our relationship with Noble Foods goes beyond supplying refrigeration units. We're combining engineering, technology, performance data and ongoing support to help improve the way their fleet operates.

"For us, the transition to electric is about giving customers better technology, better information and more control over how their fleets perform."

Supporting customers beyond installation

Sunswap's relationship with Noble Foods extends from fleet integration through to everyday operations and aftercare, helping to support the transition to electric refrigeration.

Sunswap Shield brings together remote diagnostics, software updates and access to dedicated technical and breakdown support, helping customers minimise downtime and maintain fleet performance.

Endurance captures data on temperature control, energy consumption and unit performance, providing greater visibility of refrigeration assets. These insights can help identify potential problems earlier, improve fleet management and make more informed operational decisions.

Ben Martin, Head of Logistics - Consumer Foods of Noble Foods, said:

"Over the past year, Endurance has fitted seamlessly into our everyday transport operations, helping us continue the reliability our customers depend on while reducing our reliance on diesel refrigeration.

"As we looked at our urban delivery routes, we wanted to address some of the practical challenges our drivers face, particularly around tail-lift charging. Sunswap worked with us to develop a solution that removes a common source of disruption and makes day-to-day operations easier.

"It's important to us that our technology partners understand how our business operates and continue to support us as our requirements evolve."

‍