The first electrically-operated refrigerated vehicle in the 3.5 tonne class in Scandinavia was put into operation by MatHem, Sweden's market leader in the home delivery service of foodstuffs. The platform of the new vehicle is the all-electric e-transporter eCab, developed jointly by AL-KO Vehicle Technology, specialist for chassis and chassis components, and the e-mobility expert ABT Sportsline. It is based on a Volkswagen T6 cab with a modified AL-KO lightweight chassis with fully integrated batteries. The body, specially developed for this transporter, is supplied by Carlsen Baltic, one of the leading manufacturers of lightweight refrigerated vehicles in Europe.

The future of shopping lies in on-line commerce. Whether for clothing, health and beauty products or even fresh food – an increasing number of people are doing their daily shopping with a click of the mouse on the Internet. But how do the products reach the end user? This job is done by home delivery services that, especially in cities, however, have to deal with infrastructural, socio-political and economic challenges. Deliveries must be on time, eco-friendly and profitable. The solution to these demands: Electrically-powered vans with AL-KO lightweight chassis.

This also applies to the first electrically-powered, refrigerated home delivery vehicle in Scandinavia, which is based on this concept and represents a further milestone on the road to future mobility for all partners involved. For MatHem, the commissioning of the new vehicle constitutes the entry into electrification of its own delivery fleet. Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Sweden sees this refrigerated vehicle as an important step towards electrification of the Volkswagen Transporter and, at the same time, as the first visible sign of cooperation between Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Sweden and ABT/AL-KO Vehicle Technology. Carlsen Baltic is also breaking new ground and relies on a fully electric cooling system with its own lithium batteries for the modern box body. These batteries allow the cooling system to be operated when required, eliminating the need for the vehicle's engine to generate the cooling. Only with this new technology is it possible to mount the refrigerated van body on a fully electric chassis. This makes the vehicle 100 % electric. This solution helps MatHem reduce the environmental impact of the vehicle fleet, as there is no additional fuel consumption or emissions from a refrigeration unit engine.

Jointly launched by AL-KO Vehicle Technology and Abt, the eCab generally provides the ideal platform for refrigerated box vehicles. The lightweight chassis with torsion bar axle and disc brakes as well as optimally tuned ESP offers the highest level of driving safety, dynamics and comfort. This is ensured by the extensive test series of AL-KO Vehicle Technology. What’s more, this results in a wide range of assembly variants tailored to the individual needs of the customer. As a special addition to keep the driver more comfortable, the eCab has a high-voltage powered heating system in the driver's cab, which makes delivery journeys pleasant even at low temperatures. The question of delivery range is also satisfactorily answered with the eCab. The current charging capacity of the batteries is 130 km according to NEDC (New European Driving Cycle). This makes the eCab the environmentally-friendly and economical solution for companies with home delivery service.