ECOOLTEC

What ECOOLTEC does

ECOOLTEC Grosskopf GmbH is a German manufacturer of next-generation transport refrigeration units, headquartered in Mülheim an der Ruhr and founded by Peter Großkopf in 2016 under the ownership of the Umweltstiftung Grosskopf GmbH environmental foundation. The company develops, produces, and markets roof-mounted and multi-temperature refrigeration systems for refrigerated trucks and trailers, anchored by its flagship TM182 unit and sold as capital equipment to fleet operators across European food retail, wholesale, foodservice distribution, and home delivery.

The core technology platform combines natural hydrocarbon refrigerants with GWP values below 4, a patent-pending fully hermetic cooling-circuit architecture that eliminates the flammability risk historically blocking hydrocarbons in transport, horizontal scroll compressors with variable-speed inverter control, and an extremely flat 240 mm rooftop form factor with a quick-change mounting system. Refrigerant charge is reduced by over 70% versus conventional HFC-based systems and the units support multi-temperature zones, AC and DC ePTO integration on battery-electric trucks, and reduced CO2 emissions of approximately 80% versus HFC baseline.

Revenue is generated through direct enterprise field sales of hardware (transport refrigeration units and selected components such as compressors and heat exchangers), supported by regional sales directors covering DACH, UK, Benelux, Italy/Switzerland, and Iberia, a wholly-owned UK subsidiary (ECOOLTEC UK Ltd.), trade show lead generation at events including IAA Transportation and Transpotec Logitec, and bodybuilder partnerships (notably Gray & Adams for the Tesco UK deployment). Named enterprise customers include Tesco, Bidfood, Brakes, Holdsworth Foods, Transgourmet, Flach, and Ferdinand Bierbichler. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, though EU subsidies of up to 5,000 EUR per energy-reducing component are available to commercial buyers.

Name

ECOOLTEC

Legal name

ECOOLTEC Grosskopf GmbH

Website

https://ecooltec.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ECOOLTEC Grosskopf GmbH manufactures electric-drive, natural-refrigerant transport refrigeration units (flagship TM182) for European food retail, wholesale, foodservice, and home delivery fleets, sold via direct enterprise sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Vehicle Transport Refrigeration Equipment

NAICS

Air-Conditioning and Warm Air Heating Equipment and Commercial and Industrial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing (333415), Motor Vehicle Electrical and Electronic Equipment Manufacturing (336320), Ventilation, Heating, Air-Conditioning, and Commercial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing (33341)

SIC

Air-Cond & Warm Air Heatg Equip & Comm & Indl Refrig Equip (3585), Refrigeration & Service Industry Machinery (3580)

akta.pro primary industry

Commercial Vehicle Cooling, HVAC & Thermal Management Manufacturing (IMACABAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Automotive Thermal Management for Electrified Powertrains (Battery/Inverter/Motor Cooling) (IMACALAD), Automotive Coolant & Refrigerant Circuit Components (Pumps/Valves/Reservoirs/Expansion Devices) (IMACALAE), Commercial & Industrial Refrigeration Systems (IMAHAKAA)

Keywords

• Transport refrigeration units
• Natural refrigerant systems
• Refrigerated truck equipment
• Electric drive cooling
• Commercial vehicle refrigeration

Headquarters

HQ city

Mülheim An Der Ruhr

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Transport Refrigeration Systems: Sale of complete transport refrigeration units including the TM182 model and other roof-mounted systems. These are capital equipment purchases for refrigerated vehicles.
2. Refrigeration Components: Newly developed components (compressors, heat exchangers, control systems) manufactured for partner companies in refrigerated containers, bus and rail air-conditioning sectors, as well as for own vehicle systems.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ECOOLTEC Grosskopf GmbH designs, manufactures, and sells transport refrigeration units for commercial vehicles using natural hydrocarbon refrigerants with GWP values below 4, a patent-pending fully hermetic cooling circuit, and purely electric drive. The flagship ECOOLTEC TM182 is an extremely flat (max 240 mm) rooftop-mounted unit supporting multi-temperature zones, quick-change servicing, and ePTO integration with battery-electric trucks, sold to fleet operators, food distributors, and retailers across Europe.

Product overview

ECOOLTEC Grosskopf GmbH is a transport refrigeration technology company that develops, manufactures, and markets a new generation of transport refrigeration units. The core product portfolio is anchored by the ECOOLTEC TM182 — a fully hermetic, electrically driven rooftop transport refrigeration unit using natural refrigerants with GWP values below 4. The offering includes the flagship TM182 unit (with sub-200 kg housing introduced in 2024), roof-mounted refrigeration systems (max 240 mm height) with a quick-change system, multi-temperature zone systems, flat evaporators, and remote control. Key components include horizontally designed scroll compressors and inverter-controlled motors. The company also provides an ePTO integration feature enabling connection to AC and DC electric truck power take-offs, and a customer service portal. All products share the common technology platform of natural refrigerants (hydrocarbons), hermetic design, and pure electric drive, with support for the F-Gas Regulation-free operation of refrigerated fleets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ECOOLTEC TM182 Transport Refrigeration Unit Flagship fully hermetic, electrically driven rooftop transport refrigeration unit using natural refrigerants with GWP under 4. Integrates into vehicle roofs (max height 240 mm), supports multi-temperature zones, and is designed for refrigerated distribution on rigid trucks and trailers. For fleet operators, food distributors, and retailers.
• ECOOLTEC Roof-Mounted Refrigeration Unit (Dachkälteanlage) Extremely flat (max 240 mm) transport refrigeration system for complete integration into the vehicle roof of both rigid trucks and trailer refrigerated bodies. Front/top fresh air intake and quick-change system for removal or replacement in minutes. For refrigerated vehicle OEMs and fleet operators.
• ECOOLTEC Multi-Temperature Transport Refrigeration System Multi-temperature zone transport refrigeration system enabling independent temperature control across multiple compartments on a single refrigerated vehicle, optimised for route planning and distribution logistics. For food wholesalers, retailers, and foodservice distributors running multi-temperature fleets.
• ECOOLTEC Flat Evaporators (Flachverdampfer) Newly developed flat evaporators for multi-temperature refrigerated vehicles offering improved energy efficiency and design flexibility for multi-compartment configurations. For OEMs and fleet operators building or retrofitting multi-temp bodies.
• ECOOLTEC Remote Control (Fernbedienung) New remote control unit enabling standardised, unified operation of the ECOOLTEC transport refrigeration system from a distance. For fleet operators and drivers using ECOOLTEC units.
• ECOOLTEC Refrigeration Components for OEM Partners Newly developed refrigeration components including horizontal scroll compressors, heat exchangers, and inverter-controlled motors supplied to partner companies for use in refrigerated containers, bus air-conditioning, and rail air-conditioning sectors, as well as for ECOOLTEC's own vehicle systems. For OEM manufacturers in refrigerated containers, buses, and rail vehicles.
• ECOOLTEC Customer Service Portal Secure online portal providing customers access to service resources, maintenance information, and support for ECOOLTEC transport refrigeration units, complemented by a dedicated service hotline. For fleet operators and service partners maintaining ECOOLTEC equipment.
• ECOOLTEC Field Support and Commissioning Field-based commissioning and integration support in which ECOOLTEC collaborates with truck manufacturers to install and validate its refrigeration units, including testing of ePTO connections and operating protocols on electric trucks. For vehicle OEMs and fleet operators integrating ECOOLTEC units into new electric trucks.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% lower CO2 emissions compared to HFC-based systems
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered notable.

• Nivalis Energy Europe and L'idealcarnotableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Joint development of refrigerated trailer featuring electric axle, solar panel system, and electrically powered ECOOLTEC refrigeration unit. Premiered at Transpotec Logitec in Milan.
• Gray & AdamsnotableTechnology or IntegrationJoint development of bespoke refrigerated body specification for Tesco's first ECOOLTEC-equipped vehicles in the UK.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Webasto: German automotive supplier with a thermal management portfolio spanning passenger car, commercial vehicle, and e-mobility thermal systems. Comparable in commercial-vehicle HVAC and electrification thermal management, with overlap on ePTO-adjacent hardware but not the core transport-refrigeration niche.
• Daikin Industries: Global HVAC and refrigeration giant with growing activity in transport and container refrigeration. While primarily a stationary-HVAC incumbent, Daikin's refrigerant technology base and sustainability positioning create overlap with ECOOLTEC's low-GWP thesis.
• Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Thermal Systems: Mitsubishi's transport and commercial refrigeration business supplies truck and container units globally. A broad incumbent in commercial-vehicle thermal management with comparable electrified-refrigeration activity, particularly in Asian and European markets.

Direct peers

• Hubbard Products: UK-based manufacturer of transport and commercial refrigeration units with a comparable European footprint and customer base. Overlaps with ECOOLTEC in refrigerated vehicle systems and is a similar-scale direct competitor in the UK market.
• Carrier Transicold: Carrier Global Corporation's transport refrigeration business and the other global incumbent alongside Thermo King. Competes in refrigerated truck, trailer, and container units with HFC, CO2 and electric drive offerings; the most direct comparable to ECOOLTEC's product range.
• Thermo King: The transport refrigeration brand of Trane Technologies and the global market leader in truck and trailer refrigeration units. Direct competitor to ECOOLTEC across diesel, electric, and hybrid transport refrigeration; significantly larger installed base and service network.
• Zanotti: Italian manufacturer of transport and commercial refrigeration equipment with a strong European installed base. Directly comparable mid-sized competitor to ECOOLTEC in the European truck and trailer refrigeration segment.
• FRIGOBLOCK (Trane Technologies): The original brand founded by Peter Großkopf in 1978 and sold to Ingersoll Rand (now Trane Technologies) in 2015. Still active in transport refrigeration under its original name; effectively ECOOLTEC's predecessor and a direct competitor offering electric-drive refrigeration units.

Regional players

• Kingtec Refrigeration: Chinese manufacturer of truck and transport refrigeration units with growing international exports. Comparable in product offering and target customer (commercial fleets) but operating predominantly in Asian and emerging markets rather than Europe.
• Hwasung Thermo: Korean manufacturer of transport refrigeration units primarily serving Asian markets. Comparable product portfolio for trucks and trailers; not a direct competitor in Europe but provides a regional parallel in mid-sized transport-refrigeration manufacturing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ECOOLTEC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ecooltec-grosskopf-gmbh

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ECOOLTEC