Sunswap

Market position

Sunswap describes the transport refrigeration market as long dominated by two incumbent suppliers of diesel technology and positions itself as an entrant that built electric from the outset, aiming to become the standard replacing diesel refrigeration. Trade coverage characterises it as a British startup addressing a defined niche — the refrigeration unit rather than the whole vehicle — and notes it raised capital in late 2024 at a time when several electric vehicle startups in Britain and the USA were retrenching or ceasing to trade.

The company presents Endurance as the first purpose-built battery and solar-powered transport refrigeration unit, contrasting it with diesel units and with PTO/axle-regeneration hybrids that depend on the truck engine. Claimed differentiators include zero tailpipe emissions from refrigeration, up to 81% lower operating costs and up to 43% lower total cost of ownership, trailer-agnostic fitment without complex charging infrastructure, quieter operation for overnight residential deliveries, and standard connected intelligence with predictive diagnostics and over-the-air updates.

Technology

Endurance is a purpose-built battery-electric transport refrigeration unit combining onboard lithium battery packs with trailer-mounted solar panels. Second-generation units used packs of up to 45 kWh; production models have energy capacities of up to 75 kWh. Battery capacity is matched to individual operations to avoid excess weight and cost, and units recharge from shore power with solar supplementing at rest and in motion. Cooling covers frozen, chilled and ambient set points, with multi-temperature operation via satellite evaporators. The unit is connected, monitoring around 1,000 real-time data points, running predictive diagnostics and receiving over-the-air updates. Sunswap identifies energy-management software and systems integration as its core engineering competencies, and says most of its engineers are generalists spanning mechanical, electrical and software disciplines.

Go-to-market

The company sells directly to fleet operators and retailers, typically beginning with on-road trials that progress to orders and fleet-wide deployments, and publishes case studies and a free electrification savings calculator to support the commercial case. It exhibits at industry events including IAA, RTX Expo, Solutrans and TCS&D / Cold Chain Hub, works with trailer and rental partners such as TIP Group and Reefer Group, and uses regional refrigeration service firms for aftermarket coverage.

Temperature-controlled logistics operators, trailer rental and leasing companies, food producers and retailers in the UK and Europe. Named customers, trial partners and referenced users include DFDS, Tesco, Gist, Samworth Brothers, Müller, Birds Eye, Staples Vegetables, Greenyard, Cranswick, Freshlinc, Americold, Moran Logistics, Bannister Transport, Chiltern Distribution, Happy Eggs, Hireco and TIP Group.

Geography

Headquartered and manufacturing in Leatherhead, Surrey, England (registered office Unit 17 Mole Business Park, Randalls Road), following earlier sites near London Bridge and in Wimbledon. The company sells to UK and European transport operators and retailers and describes growing European operations; a company update refers to entering four new markets across three continents, including operation in a French winter and an Australian summer.

History

After its seed round the company moved from London Bridge to a site in Wimbledon, occupied for two years, before transitioning in 2023 to Leatherhead, Surrey, where headquarters were established in January 2023 covering engineering, product development, aftermarket and commercial teams. First customer trials began in February 2022 with DFDS, GIST and Tesco; Gist was the first customer to test the technology, taking a single unit for its temperature-controlled fleet in 2022. In March 2022 Sunswap secured Barclays and the Clean Growth Fund as backers, enabling a move from demonstration to production. DFDS placed the first order for Endurance units in September 2022. Manufacturing at Leatherhead began in April 2024, a Series B led by BGF was announced in August 2024, and DFDS took delivery of the first commercial units in November 2024. By April 2025 units were in operation across fleets including Birds Eye, Tesco, Staples Vegetables and Greenyard.

Risks & controversies

Trade coverage notes the wider context of electric vehicle startups in Britain and the USA that have scaled back or ceased trading after raising substantial capital. Sunswap's production facility was described in March 2025 as very small, with a layout still a work in progress that did not reflect full capacity, while the company targets a step change to 500 units a year. The company depends on external suppliers for batteries, refrigeration components and solar panels, and an Endurance unit fitted to a diesel tractor unit eliminates only the refrigeration emissions rather than those of the whole vehicle. Performance claims such as run times are stated to depend on weather conditions.