FLEET MANAGEMENT | REFRIGERATION
Bedeo continues electrification of Ocado fleet Electric van specialist Bedeo, formerly BD Auto, has supplied a further 17 EV delivery chassis to Ocado Retail this year, bringing the number of Bedeo vans on the fleet to 32. The home delivery vehicles will operate across west and south-west London from Ocado’s Park Royal depot. Based on the Stellantis chassis, the Bedeo e-LCV’s are rated at 4,250kg gross weight, providing up to 1,850kg for the payload and body. That body, which has chilled and ambient sections, is provided by Paneltex and the company has also supplied the fridge unit, which is powered by the van’s traction battery. The Ocado vans have a driving range of up to 139 miles and AC recharging takes 7 hours from 0-60%, or 2 hours from 60-100%. Rapid DC charging is also possible, giving a 0-80% top-up in just 1 hour. “We expect to see an acceleration in the adoption of commercial electric vehicles in the coming years,” said Osman Boyner, CEO of Bedeo. “Ocado is a clear leader in its field and we are partnering alongside them as they tackle the crucial target of carbon footprint reduction. Not only does our technology offer an immediate and direct solution to improving air quality in our cities, it also allows our customers to make reductions in their last-mile delivery costs.”
Volkswagen adds to fridge conversions Volkswagen has added a chilled Crafter Luton body to its conversion lineup. Based on the Engineered-To-Go Luton body from Ingimex, the Crafter’s fridge conversion is carried out by recognised partner The Cold Consortium. The loadspace can be chilled to 0°C with a temperature-controlled multi-strip curtain fitted to the rear shutter. The conversion includes pressure-bonded insulation panels, for maximum strength with minimal weight, while the bulkhead panel has been strengthened to carry the refrigeration evaporator. Motion-activated infrared sensor lighting replaces the standard Luton load bay illumination. As with all of VW’s partner conversions, the fridge van has a warranty that matches VW’s own, while customers can deal with a single source at the VW Van Centre for sales information and back-up.
“The temperature-controlled market is growing and we’re delighted to be able to announced a new conversion in partnership with The Cold Consortium,” said Nick Axtell, specialist sales manager at VWCV.
Robertson moves to temperature-controlled contract hire Scottish butcher Robertson’s Fine Foods has taken five temperaturecontrolled vehicles on a contract hire deal from national specialist Fraikin, the firm’s first major move away from vehicle ownership and shortterm rental. The deal includes two Iveco Daily 7.2-tonne vans, a 3.5-tonne Mercedes-Benz Sprinter and two DAF trucks. “Fraikin has actually been supplying us with short-term rental vehicles for more than 20 years,” said Gareth Robertson, operations director. “Historically, for vehicles we’ve in24 VANUSER • NOVEMBER 2021
tended to keep in service for seven or eight years, we’ve opted to buy them outright. However, when it came to making a decision about replacing these older assets, Fraikin’s contract hire solution offered a more sustainable and reliable option.” All of the vehicles have been supplied with Carrier Transicold refrigeration units. Both the vans and the trucks are equipped with a full telematics package, that helps the company to monitor driver performance, fleet efficiency and improve safety on the road.
