Australian transport refrigeration specialist Protran Solutions is bringing a world-class innovation to local roads — the Sunswap Endurance, a solar-powered refrigerated trailer that keeps food cold without a drop of diesel needed.

To be showcased at HVIA’s upcoming TruckShowX on May 18-19 in the Hunter Valley, the Sunswap Endurance is no prototype — it’s already a proven performer, delivering fresh food for major UK and EU retailers.

Now, through Protran Solutions’ exclusive Australian distribution partnership, the technology is finally arriving where it was arguably always destined to thrive.

Protran Solutions has already put the Sunswap Endurance to the ultimate Australian test — a gruelling 1,600km Sydney-Brisbane-Sydney return trip completed in just three days, running entirely on solar power. Not a single litre of diesel was used.

The technology is elegantly simple. Solar panels mounted across the trailer roof continuously charge onboard batteries, which power the refrigeration unit. The batteries can also be topped up from the grid overnight. The result? Zero diesel. Zero tailpipe emissions.

Just Australian sunshine keeping milk, meat and vegetables at the right temperature — all the way from farm to supermarket shelf.

“Australia’s sunshine is perfect for this technology,” says Michael Lowe, CEO of Sunswap. “We’re proud that Protran Solutions — one of Australia’s emerging names in transport refrigeration, is partnering with Sunswap to distribute the Endurance model to the Australian market.

“It’s the same world-class unit delivering groceries across the UK, Europe and South America, and now, Australian operators will have the opportunity to partner with Protran Solutions to see the benefits Sunswap Endurance will provide to their fleets which will include zero emissions from day one.”

Protran Solutions, an Australian transport refrigeration specialist with over 30 years of industry experience — has secured the exclusive rights to distribute the Sunswap Endurance across Australia. The first units are already in trial operations with cold chain operators, and Protran Solutions has already signed up its first customer after the first trial run of the trailer was completed.

Grant Turner, General Manager of Protran Solutions, says it’s a “game changer”. “It’s a serious alternative to the current offerings in the transport refrigeration unit space. It has the ability to perform as a normal fridge and gives customers the opportunity to reduce their carbon footprint. Sunswap Endurance can reduce CO2 emissions by up to 20 ton per year,” he says.

“Australian sunshine has always been a challenge for diesel refrigeration — the harder it beats down, the harder those units work, and the more fuel they burn.

“The Sunswap Endurance flips that equation entirely. More sun means more power, exactly when you need it most.

“Why use diesel to power your refrigeration system when it can be powered by the sun? Real Australian tests have shown return interstate trips powered by battery and solar are easily achievable. It can run freezer loads on battery alone for 24 hours, multi-temp runs for over a week and chiller loads exceeding a month without the need for charge power.”

And Sunswap Endurance fits perfectly into the Australian climate, Turner adds. “Physics actually favour us. Australian summer means stronger solar irradiance exactly when cooling demand peaks. Diesel units struggle in heat. Our solar generation improves in it,” he says.

“The system is so simple. No need for fuel tanks, no need for e-axles, and no payload weight disadvantage for batteries. It truly is the next generation of cold chain green solutions for the Australian market.”

The Sunswap Endurance is manufactured at Sunswap’s facility in Surrey, UK, where production is scaling rapidly to meet growing international demand across six markets.

In Australia, Protran Solutions will manage the full supply chain — from delivery and installation through to ongoing maintenance and cold-chain compliance — ensuring operators get not just a world-class product, but world-class support.

“Protran is proud to be the company bringing this world-class technology to Australian operators,” Turner says.

As the first Sunswap Endurance trailers — bearing distinctive rooftop solar panels and ‘Making Australian sunshine work harder’ branding — roll out across the Australian highways under Protran Solutions’ banner, the message to the transport industry is clear: the future of refrigerated freight in Australia is already here.

Scheduled for May 18-19, 2026 at Rydges Hunter Valley in regional New South Wales, TruckShowX 2026 – a spin-off the Brisbane Truck Show – will offer attendees the opportunity to learn from the industry’s prime movers how businesses are transforming through innovation and technology, via real-world case studies focusing on transport productivity, efficiency and safety.

Complementing the conference program will be an expo showcasing technology, equipment and services across a range of new areas, and uniquely, the drive-day opportunity to get behind the wheel of the latest truck models from leading manufacturers, and for the first time, a trailer display.

The program is available here and tickets can be purchased here.

TruckShowX 2026, presented by HVIA and Brisbane Truck Show, is supported by Major Sponsor NTI, Strategic Sponsors NSW Government and Destination NSW, Local Government Sponsor Cessnock City Council, Gold Sponsors Geotab and Wurth, Silver Sponsors VE Motion and Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), Charity Partner Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds, and Media Partners ROADBOSS and Fleet News Group.