Phillips & Temro Industries (PTI) announced the launch of its Idle Free electric APU, a new design that mounts the auxiliary power unit behind the cab rather than on the truck’s rails. According to the company, the Series 4000 eAPU was built specifically for trucks with limited rail space. Like its original APU, the Series 4000 eAPU captures and stores energy from the truck’s alternator in independent AGM batteries, the company said. This energy is then converted into power for cooling and electrification. Also, locating the APU behind the cab minimizes exposure from the environment.

“Just as we are challenged to develop APUs to keep abreast of the ever-increasing in-cab power loads, we put ourselves to task and continue to push the design envelope for other needs, as well,” said John Sweazey, product engineer for Phillips & Temro Industries. “In addition to designing an APU that delivers maximum performance, we also took into consideration weight, power sources, endurance and location on the truck.”

Idle Free is the only APU on the market that offers Reefer Link technology, the company pointed out. The Reefer, they explained, acts as a link between the truck and the reefer unit to convert the energy produced by the reefer unit for the drivers’ personal comfort, making for unlimited run time of the A/C and heater as well as providing electrical power for items such as TV’s, microwaves and computers.