New Unit Enables Night Deliveries, Improves Driver and “Neighbour” Comfort, with Standard Installation

HARDENBERG, The Netherlands, Carrier Transicold’s latest innovation, the Vector™ 1550 City refrigeration unit (“Vector 1550 City”) for trailers, will be introduced at the Carrosserie Vakdagen show in Hardenberg today. Generating a noise level below 60 decibels and benefiting from standard installation, the unit has been certified compliant with Piek, Europe’s most stringent noise abatement standard.

Established in the Netherlands in 2003 to respond to growing concerns from local government and supermarkets, Piek standards stipulate that noise levels during night deliveries (from 10:30 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.) must not surpass 60 decibels, the equivalent of normal conversation. Under Piek standards, night deliveries are permitted, but only if specific noise level restrictions are met. While the Netherlands paved the way in this field, numerous projects aimed at reducing noise pollution have since come to fruition in other European countries including France, the UK, Spain and Germany.

Benefiting from standard installation, the Vector 1550 City meets the requirements of customers receiving deliveries at night who are concerned with the comfort of both local residents and drivers. The Vector 1550 City also provides the advantages of the standard Vector 1550 unit and its all-electric technology, including low fuel consumption, improved reliability and light weight.

“We have seen a rising demand, from the retail business sector in particular, for low-noise units,” said Lionel Pourcheresse, product manager, Carrier Transicold Europe. “The Vector 1550 City is very much in line with this market development and is customer-driven. Using Piek-certified refrigeration units demonstrates concern for the general well-being of the public and drivers. This can constitute a strong differentiator for transporters and end customers operating on highly competitive and regulated markets.”

Complying with Piek standards, the new Vector 1550 City expands Carrier Transicold’s “City” range, already composed of Vector 1850 City and Vector 1850 MT City units. The Vector 1550 City offers numerous benefits for transporters, retailers, bodybuilders, drivers and the general population, enabling night deliveries and overcoming many of the challenges of distribution in urban or sensitive areas, notably in terms of efficient supply chain, noise, traffic congestion, road security, pollution and fuel consumption.

By expanding the periods allowed for store deliveries, supermarket shelves are better stocked and consumers better served. In addition, night deliveries lead to less time being spent on the road and hence fewer road accidents, lower CO2 emissions and less fuel consumption, improving the supermarket’s bottom-line. Residential neighbors also will appreciate not having their sleep disturbed thanks to quieter deliveries.

The Vector 1550 City uses the same mounting points and front wall opening as a standard trailer unit. The installation process therefore remains the same as for other units of the Vector range, with no specific chassis work required, a characteristic welcomed by bodybuilders. It is also light weight at 790 kg.

A Piek-certified refrigeration unit accommodates healthier working conditions for drivers on the road and better quality of sleep for long haul-drivers who are obliged to rest regularly to avoid driver fatigue and potential accidents. Neighbouring drivers will also reap the benefits.

The Vector 1550 City capitalizes on the benefits of the standard Vector 1550 unit, combining low fuel consumption with adequate refrigeration capacity. The optimized energy consumption of the Vector 1550 unit is achieved by a patented combination of a hermetic compressor with an economizer, enabling the use of a 1.5-litre diesel engine. The economizer function supplies up to a 40 per cent increase in refrigeration capacity during pull-down, which is automatically reduced during the temperature regulation phase. By delivering adequate capacity according to the refrigeration phases, energy consumption is drastically reduced while maintaining exceptional cold chain performance.

The Vector 1550 City refrigeration unit will be presented at the Carrosserie Vakdagen show in Hardenberg, from 29 to 31 March 2011, Hall 7, Stand 509.

For more information visit www.Vector1550.com