Milestone for Sustainable Transport

SolarOnTop, an innovation by IM Efficiency, is a step forward in making transport more sustainable. The photovoltaic system supplies trucks with green electricity from solar panels.

In order to reach a climate-neutral European economy by 2030, the decarbonization of road freight vehicles can potentially have a major impact. For Vos Logistics, a leading logistics service provider in The Netherlands, sustainability is one of their key priorities.

The electricity generated by the solar panels is used for all electric appliances of the vehicle. The SolarOnTop supplies clean electricity to the truck and trailer, compensating the electricity that is normally generated by the alternator. This reduces the load on the engine, saving fuel while the vehicle is driving. While the driver rests, the SolarOnTop charges the truck battery.

Savings of 2,000 to 2,500 liters of diesel per truck each year have been reached, which is equal to about 6 tons of CO₂. Together with IM Efficiency, Vos Logistics aims to improve the system even further, so more trucks can use the technology. Thanks to the plug and play system, the SolarOnTop can be installed on a vehicle within a day.

The insights gained through the cloud solution will be key to monitoring the result and including them in reports of Vos Logistics.

Soon Vos Logistics will equip another trailer with the SolarOnTop system and hopes that many more will follow. Frank Verhoeven (CEO Vos Logistics) states: “Sustainability is in our DNA. By collaborating with IM Efficiency, among others, we are a trendsetter in embracing the energy transition and make an important contribution to making transport as a branch more sustainable. This to deliver better, faster, cheaper and more sustainable solutions. “