A partnership between QTRS, an Australian supplier of transport refrigeration equipment and services, and SolarEdge e-Mobility, a European provider of e-motors, e-axles and related decarbonisation technologies, has resulted in Australia’s first solar-powered e-axle trailer being trialled on Australian roads.
The trailer, manufactured by Schmitz Cargobull and owned by QTRS, was fitted with e-axle hardware provided by SolarEdge, and adapted to running gear by TMC Australia, a local supplier of axles and suspensions.
Crucially, the local design and engineering work undertaken by TMC has resulted in a dual tyre trailer e-axle. Dual tyres are more popular than wide single tyres in Australia due to the additional load they can carry under regulations.
The trailer was manufactured by Schmitz Cargobull and is fitted with e-axle hardware provided by European company SolarEdge, and adapted to running gear by TMC Australia
In field trials conducted in Queensland last week, the e-axle collected energy normally lost as waste heat during braking, and also operated in ‘dynamo’ mode on an intermittent, as-needed basis to ensure the on-board battery’s charge remained at the desired level. The battery then powered the trailer’s refrigeration unit and required no input from the truck driver.
During the trials, the truck’s fuel usage remained in the expected range, indicating that the system completely negated the need for a separate diesel engine to run the refrigeration unit, and did not increase the overall load on the truck by a noticeable amount.
In the trial the e-axle collected energy normally lost as waste heat during braking, and also operated in ‘dynamo’ mode on an as-needed basis to ensure the battery charge remained
The solar panels on the trailer recharged the battery while in motion, and also while parked. After the weekend, the charge level in the trailer’s battery had doubled, despite it sitting idle in a yard and not plugged into any power source.
The solar powered e-axle trailer will soon travel to Brisbane, where it will feature in the Heavy Equipment and Machinery Show (HEMS) running alongside the 2025 Brisbane Truck Show at the nearby Brisbane Showgrounds.
The solar panels on the trailer recharged the battery while in motion and also while parked. Impressively, after the weekend, the charge level in the trailer’s battery had doubled
QTRS advises that the learnings from the trials will allow the project partners to build on this technology and offer trailers featuring axles with motive power capabilities to the Australian market, pending future regulatory changes.
Download a short video of the trailer here.
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