Iveco has signed a Memorandum of Understanding to supply 2,000 of its new eDaily van to refrigerated vehicle rental and leasing firm Petit Forestier.

The deal is said to be a key milestone in the energy transition of the refrigerated supply chain

Unveiled at IAA Transportation 2022 in Hannover last week, the fully electric eDaily comes with the same body variants, cargo capacity and performance as the standard Daily while delivering a claimed 400km (249 miles) electric range in urban real-life usage.

The new deal with Petit Forestier Group will enable electrification within the cold chain sector.

Delivery of the first 200 vehicles is planned for 2023. These will then be kitted out with refrigerated bodies by bodybuilder Lecapitaine, a wholly owned subsidiary of Petit Forestier. The eDaily refrigerated vehicles will join Petit Forestier’s existing rental fleet, advancing its energy transition to electric propulsion.

Initially, Petit Forestier’s customers operating in the EU, UK and Switzerland will be offered priority access to rent the eDaily in 2023. The full 2,000-strong fleet will be available by 2026.

Luca Sra, president, truck business unit, Iveco Group, stated: “Today marks an important milestone in the long-standing partnership between Iveco and Petit Forestier. We have always shared a deep-seated commitment to sustainability and an innovative approach to the energy transition. Petit Forestier joined us on our path to green transport from the early days, transitioning to our natural gas vehicles when it was the only mature solution immediately available. Today, they are taking the next step with us as early adopters of our brand-new eDaily. Today’s announcement is testament to Petit Forestier’s belief in Iveco as a partner in pioneering the energy transition in the cold chain sector.”

Léonard Forestier, president of Petit Forestier Group, added that it was a key milestone in the energy transition of the refrigerated supply chain.

“Today, we are proud to partner up with Iveco to promote the eDaily, the electric twin of the Daily, already highly appreciated for its performance, and to offer our customers priority access to this great innovation.”