For a dairy delivery vehicle, reliability matters. So, what is the first real-world data telling us about fridge.li Gen3 in operation on a Clover truck?
Across three weeks of active operation in Johannesburg, the battery-electric refrigeration system completed 13 delivery days on a large-volume supermarket route. The unit ran at a 2°C setpoint, with the box doors sometimes remaining open for extended periods while dairy products were offloaded.
During transit, performance remained consistent:
– 2.58°C mean temperature
– 100% of transit readings at or below 4°C
– 85% of transit readings within 1°C of setpoint
Across all 13 delivery days, transit temperatures stayed within the 1.4°C to 4°C range, with consistent performance throughout.
But the real test begins at the delivery bay: doors are opened, warm air enters and products may be unloaded for extended periods while the vehicle stands still.
Across the 13 operating days, 35 offload events were recorded, with an average opening time of 36 minutes. After the doors closed, the box air temperature returned to the 4°C safe limit in an average of seven minutes and to the 2.5°C setpoint in an average of 14 minutes.
All 35 events were fully recovered.
Average daily refrigeration use was 10.3 kWh (that’s around 21.5% of the battery’s usable capacity) leaving substantial capacity in reserve at the end of each working day.
For operators, that reserve margin is important, because it is the difference between completing a route with confidence and worrying about whether the cold chain will hold until the final delivery. It also allows for more flexibility when a delivery takes longer than expected.
For fridge.li Gen3, this is where engineering becomes real-world proof: reliable temperature control, consistent recovery and enough capacity in reserve to give operators genuine peace of mind.
Electrifying transport refrigeration is not only about replacing diesel and reducing emissions, it is also about giving operators confidence that the cold chain will still hold, delivery after delivery.
We tell our customers that fridge.li is proven, not promised. Which is why we will continue to share the real-world data that puts that claim to the test.
Thanks to Liezel Turner and Tendai Chonzi and the fridge.li team Richard Fraser, Avish Balwanth