Coolkit, the Burnley-based refrigerated vehicle manufacturer, is rolling out a technical innovation that provides a solution to industry-wide problems caused by start/stop systems on new commercial vans.

The introduction of Economy Drive systems has meant that increasing numbers of vehicles now feature an engine start/stop system as standard. Although designed to enhance fuel economy, the start/stop function can present problems for fridge van conversions, where the refrigeration system is interlinked with the vehicle engine.

Many refrigeration transportation companies suffer from the engine cutting out when the vehicle enters start/stop mode, which in turn shuts off the power to the temperature controlled storage at the rear of the vehicle. This poses huge problems as these systems require constant power during transportation to keep them at the desired temperature.

Through a strategic relationship with a specialist company in the industry, CoolKit can now exclusively provide an add-on feature to fridge van conversions, which enables the automatic shut-down of the start/stop system every time the engine is started. This completely eradicates the issue and has already proven to be a huge success with existing customers.

CoolKit sales manager Mark Beaton said: “The new interface is designed to automatically disable the start/stop function on vehicles where this feature is not desired. Each application is designed specifically for a particular vehicle type and provides seamless control over the start/stop system.

“Each time the vehicle engine is started, the interface automatically disengages the start/stop control so that manually overriding the function is not necessary. The start/stop function can be re-instated by the driver at any time during the journey but will automatically cancel again the next time the vehicle is started.”

He added: “With the Euro 6 engine soon to be launched and more initiatives emerging for vehicle emissions, the likelihood is that most or all vehicles will soon be specified with a start/stop facility as standard.”

One of the first customers to benefit from the system is Metrow Foods of Leigh-On-Sea, Essex. The company’s transport manager Dave Thomas said: “The Start/Stop solution fitted to our vehicles now means we can run the fridge system without the worry of causing any damage to the vehicle itself and invalidating any warranty.”