Cold without diesel: Sunswap expands into South America and disrupts the logistics chain

In partnership with Trailer Logistics, its electric refrigeration units are now operating routes for Walmart Chile between Santiago, La Serena, and Concepción. A first: a fully diesel-free logistics chain, both for the tractor and the trailer.

Here, it’s not just about replacing a combustion engine. “It’s about building a more resilient logistics system aligned with future energy challenges,” explains Hernán Searle, CEO of Trailer Logistics.

With its Endurance solution, Sunswap offers a fully integrated approach: energy, refrigeration, data, and maintenance combined into a single system.

On the ground, the numbers speak for themselves. Operators report up to 81% reduction in refrigeration operating costs compared to diesel. A strong argument in a country like Chile, where refrigerated routes can span several hundred kilometers.

Another advantage: the local context. Thanks to high levels of sunshine, charging is optimized, and most importantly, the system operates without specific infrastructure, relying on existing facilities in refrigerated warehouses.

Each Sunswap unit is equipped with a real-time monitoring system: temperature, consumption, performance… everything is analyzed.

Result: more visibility, less maintenance, and better operational control.

For Mike Lowe, CEO of Sunswap, the difference lies there: “Our systems don’t just produce cold without diesel. They continuously analyze operations to improve them.”

This deployment is part of Walmart’s strategy, which aims for zero emissions by 2030. While electric tractors are already in operation, refrigeration remained one of the last diesel strongholds. With Sunswap, that barrier is starting to break.

Already present in the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, and Australia, Sunswap confirms its international expansion.

And above all, a clear trend is emerging: refrigerated transport is now entering the zero-emission era.