Supermarket chain Tesco is trialling battery and solar-powered fridges on its trucks.
Working with tech manufacturer Sunswap, the UK’s largest retailer has deployed five new units at its Peterborough depot, replacing diesel-powered transport refrigeration.
The battery and solar-powered fridges eliminate carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions, according to Sunswap, which said Tesco’s adoption of the tech marks a potential acceleration in a shift away from diesel-powered cooling systems that have dominated food transport for decades.
To date, keeping food chilled and frozen during delivery typically means running diesel engines on the back of trucks – generating emissions and burning fuel even when vehicles are not moving. But the Tesco trial, which began in February 2025, sees roof-mounted panels and batteries used to maintain temperatures without diesel.
Sunswap began manufacturing its purpose-built battery and solar-powered refrigeration unit, Endurance, at its in-house production facility in Leatherhead in November 2024. This is new technology on the market.
Cliff Smith, fleet engineering manager at Tesco, commented: “At Tesco, we have an ambitious goal for carbon neutrality across our own operations by 2035 and net zero across our value chain by 2050.”
He said the Sunswap trial demonstrated solar and battery power can successfully be used across Tesco’s road transport cold chain to reduce emissions while maintaining optimal temperatures across frozen, chilled, and ambient deliveries.
Michael Lowe, CEO of Sunswap, which also works with frozen food company Birds Eye, added: “Tesco choosing Sunswap Endurance for their fleet is a landmark moment for sustainable food transport.
“When a retailer of Tesco’s scale deploys electric refrigeration across operations, it validates the technology for the entire industry and accelerates adoption.”
In other logistics news this week, FSEW, the global freight forwarding company which counts Tesco among its list of clients, announced a partnership with EV fleet and battery storage specialist Zenobē.
FSEW is establishing a new low carbon freight hub at its headquarters in Cardiff, and Zenobē has been appointed as charging infrastructure partner for this project. The hub will be the first of its kind in Wales to be powered entirely by renewable energy sources.
And warehouse and fulfilment services provider, XPO Logistics, announced it is expanding its ‘Nature Network’ project to its shared-user warehouse in Leicester. The site offers consolidated storage and logistics services for Samsung Climate Solutions and other customers, and it will soon have around one acre of land transformed to support native wildlife.
Tree and shrub species have been planted alongside wildflowers to attract pollinators and link the site to surrounding green areas. Bird and bat boxes, as well as raised planters, have been installed across the depot, with a particular focus on outdoor break areas allowing colleagues to relax in a more natural and restorative space.
The move is part of a wider nature and employee wellbeing programme run by XPO.
[image credit: Sunswap/Tesco]
