Electrifying refrigerated transport: Full cooling capacity and reduced operating costs through retrofitting.
Electrifying refrigerated transport: Full cooling capacity and reduced operating costs through retrofitting.
Are you facing the challenge of making your refrigerated fleet future-proof without having to write off the expensive specialized bodies? The electrification of existing refrigerated vans is the solution that combines emission-related necessity with economic sense. Learn how to maintain 100% of the performance of your cooling units while drastically reducing operating costs.
The topic briefly and concisely
The conversion of a refrigerated transport vehicle to electric drive maintains full cooling capacity thanks to autonomous energy systems, without affecting the vehicle's range.
Due to massive savings in energy and maintenance costs, retrofitting is more economical than operating a diesel vehicle; government subsidies covered up to 80% of the additional costs until 2024.
The continued use of the expensive cooling system conserves valuable resources, protects your investment, and is an active contribution to the circular economy.
For operators of refrigerated transport fleets, such as in food or pharmaceutical logistics, the situation is becoming increasingly complex. Rising operating costs due to CO₂ taxes and looming diesel driving bans in German inner cities require immediate action. At the same time, purchasing a new electric refrigerated vehicle represents an enormous capital commitment and leads to the loss of investment in the expensive special body, which is often only a few years old. With its patented conversion, HEERO offers a technologically leading solution: We electrify the basis of your proven Mercedes-Benz Sprinter and fully preserve your valuable refrigerated body – a pragmatic decision in the spirit of the circular economy.
The double challenge for refrigerated fleets: costs and access restrictions
The operation of diesel refrigerated vans is becoming a growing economic burden for logistics companies and municipalities. The CO₂ tax increases the cost of every kilometer driven, which increases the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) by several percentage points annually. At the same time, cities like Stuttgart and Munich are tightening their access regulations and banning diesel vehicles below the Euro 6 standard from entire low-emission zones, which can result in fines of over 100 euros. This development threatens the operational capability of fleets, which often rely on expensive and durable specialized bodies for refrigerated transport. The lifespan of these bodies often exceeds that of the base vehicle by more than 5 years. A completely new purchase would destroy these still-intact assets and represents an investment that often exceeds 100,000 euros. This complex situation requires a solution that is convincing both economically and operationally.
Investments protect through retrofitting: The intelligent alternative to buying new
Instead of writing off a fully functional refrigerated body and unit prematurely, HEERO offers the solution: the conversion of your existing Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. This approach is a prime example of an active circular economy, a principle that is also being pushed by the EU for commercial vehicles. We preserve 100% of your expensive body and simply replace the fossil fuel drivetrain with our powerful electric drive. This process takes only 10 working days. This protects your original investment of several tens of thousands of euros in the refrigerated body. The continued use of high-quality components is not only sustainable, but also the economically smartest decision for fleet operators. You avoid the high acquisition costs and long delivery times for a new electric vehicle and modernize your fleet in a very short time. In this way, an imminent loss of value becomes a future-proof investment.
Uncompromising cooling performance: The HEERO energy concept
The central requirement for a refrigerated transporter when converting to electric is maintaining the full performance of the cooling unit without compromise. Many operators fear that the cooling system will drastically reduce the vehicle's range. The HEERO energy concept eliminates this problem with a completely autonomous system for the cooling technology. The cooling is not powered by the vehicle's main traction battery. Instead, we integrate a separate, powerful energy supply specifically designed for the cooling unit.
This system ensures constant and reliable cooling under all conditions:
Completely autonomous operation: The cooling unit runs on its own electrical circuit and does not affect the vehicle range of up to 425 km.
Powerful battery solution: We use dedicated and maintenance-free lithium iron phosphate batteries (LiFePo4) designed for 6-12 hours of continuous operation.
Uninterrupted cold chain: The cooling continues to run reliably even when the vehicle engine is switched off, for example, during unloading at the customer's site.
Flexible charging options: The cooling system can be pre-charged independently of the vehicle, for example overnight via a 230V socket.
With this technological separation, we guarantee that your electric-converted refrigerated transporter offers the same or even better performance than a diesel vehicle.
TCO Analysis: Why Retrofitting is the Most Economical Decision
The decision in favor of a conversion is not only sustainable, but above all financially superior. A detailed analysis of the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) shows that a Sprinter converted by HEERO is significantly cheaper than its diesel counterpart and often also than a new electric vehicle. The higher initial investments generally pay off within 4 to 6 years. The savings result from several factors. The energy costs per 100 km for an e-transporter are around 5-6 euros, while a comparable diesel costs over 12 euros. In addition, maintenance costs are at least 30% lower, as maintenance-intensive components such as the exhaust system or oil changes are eliminated. The conversion became particularly attractive due to government subsidies. The Federal Office for Logistics and Mobility (BALM) subsidized the conversion of commercial vehicles until 2024 with up to 80% of the additional investment costs compared to a diesel. HEERO supports you in classifying these funds. The combination of lower operating costs, subsidies, and the preservation of your valuable body makes the sustainable modernization of your fleet the most profitable option.
Future-proof in the environmental zone: Guaranteeing full operational readiness
The increasing number of low-emission zones and diesel bans in German cities represents a massive operational hurdle for logistics and craft businesses. A converted HEERO e-transporter offers the decisive solution here: unrestricted access. This gives you 100 percent planning reliability for all urban deliveries and operations. While diesel fleets struggle with exemptions and impending fines of up to 128.50 euros per violation, you drive locally emission-free and without restrictions.
The conversion secures decisive operational advantages for you:
Legal compliance: You already meet tomorrow's requirements today and are not affected by future tightening of environmental regulations.
Unrestricted access: Your vehicles can enter all low-emission zones at any time, which simplifies route planning and increases efficiency.
Competitive advantage: You position yourself as a reliable partner for customers in inner-city locations and stand out from competitors with outdated fleets.
No delivery delays: You bypass the often long delivery times for new e-transporters of 12 months and more through a fast conversion of your existing fleet.
This operational reliability is an invaluable advantage in daily competition and makes the conversion a strategic decision for the future of your company.
Conclusion: Your advantage with HEERO – Economical, sustainable, powerful
Converting your refrigerated transport vehicle to a pure electric drive is the most pragmatic and intelligent solution for the challenges of modern city logistics. You do not have to make any compromises regarding cooling performance and will benefit from massive cost advantages that reduce your TCO by up to 30%. At the same time, you act in the spirit of the circular economy by preserving valuable special bodies and conserving resources. With a HEERO e-transporter, you not only gain free access to all low-emission zones, but also position your company as an innovative and responsible market leader. HEERO is your partner for a future-proof fleet that perfectly combines economic rationality and emission reduction. Experience the benefits yourself. Request your personal consultation now or book an everyday test free of charge.
More useful links
Das Bundesministerium für Digitales und Verkehr provides comprehensive information on climate protection in transport, particularly on commercial vehicles with alternative drivetrains.
Das Bundesamt für Logistik und Mobilität (BALM) provides detailed information on the Climate Protection and Sustainability in Commercial Vehicles (KSNI) funding program.
Die Nationale Leitstelle Ladeinfrastruktur provides important information on the topic of commercial vehicles and the associated charging infrastructure.
Die Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) offers an overview of various funding opportunities in the field of sustainable mobility for companies.
Der International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) has published a study on the total cost of ownership (TCO) of battery-electric trucks in Europe.
Die P3 Group compares the total cost of ownership (TCO) of electric heavy-duty vehicles (e-HDT) with those of internal combustion engine heavy-duty vehicles (ICE-HDT) in an article.
Die Energieagentur Rheinland-Pfalz reports on the continuous growth in the stock of electric commercial vehicles in Germany.
Das Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz (BMWK) provides information on the funding database for programs for electric commercial vehicle applications and infrastructures.
