Car refrigerators

	Model CW-622D from mainland China-based Ligao features a temperature display, and has green and red indicators.

Models are being equipped with various carrying options and temperature-control mechanisms to generate market interest.

Mainland China and Taiwan suppliers of car refrigerators are banking on versatile and user-friendly designs to keep the line afloat amid sluggish demand and cutthroat price competition.

Makers hope to generate buyer interest primarily by integrating functional add-ons in units suitable for passenger and recreational vehicles and boats. This also enables them to increase product value and, in turn, compete beyond prices.

With the boom in outdoor recreation activities in the West, going beyond in-vehicle applications has emerged as a key trend. To match the portability of basic cooler boxes and bags, the latest models feature shoulder straps, collapsible handles and easy-rolling wheels. Units are now easier to carry or move around during picnics, camping and fishing.

Companies are also introducing mechanisms that enable users to adjust temperatures depending on the refrigerator’s contents and target application. LED indicators and displays are becoming more common as well.

Such strategies are deemed crucial to suppliers’ staying power since the line has not seen any significant technological breakthroughs in recent years. In fact, most companies still prefer mature thermoelectric modules for their low cost and easy availability. Limited expertise and high investment, meanwhile, are hampering the use of more-efficient alternatives such as absorption systems.

Mainland makers are expanding user options to attract more orders from the midrange segment and consequently stimulate export growth. The industry’s sales have been rising by about 10 percent annually since 2005.

In Taiwan, R&D has taken a backseat as fierce competition from the mainland has strained suppliers’ profit margins. This has already forced several makers to phase out their car refrigerators business and shift to more-promising lines. The few Taiwan companies that managed to sustain production are opting to enhance the functionality of existing models.

Production on both sides of the Taiwan Strait centers on designs suitable for multiple applications. ABS is commonly used for housings to ensure they can withstand frequent hauling.

Of the mainland suppliers interviewed, Winkeen Technology Co. Ltd focuses on lightweight car refrigerators that feature shoulder straps. Versions with handles are also in the pipeline.

Priced between $33 and $55, existing models range from 4 to 24L in storage capacity.

At Ligao Electrical Appliance Co. Ltd, some releases are equipped with recessed handles. Versions between 5 and 24L are available. Most are suitable for storing bottled drinks.

Emphasizing entertainment options, Shenzhen Angel Equipment & Technology Co. Ltd has launched designs with a built-in radio. This add-on pushes prices up by $1 or $2.

The company’s car refrigerators currently go for $15 to $50.

Featured Taiwan suppliers adopt constructions that can double as chairs. Made of impact-resistant ABS, the units are able to support the weight of a child.

Suitable for RVs, new models from Shen Tsan Technology Co. Ltd have a storage capacity of 35L and are fitted with handles and wheels. The lids include compartments for utensils and tools. Exports in this series target Western Europe.

For Yung Plastic Industry Co. Ltd’s easy-to-carry designs come in 6, 8, 17, 28 and 30L versions.

The popularity of models with cooling and warming capability is spurring the trend for temperature display and control options.

Units are fitted with a switch or control panel for regulating temperature levels. LEDs indicate the current mode of operation. These light up in green or red when the unit is set to cold or hot, respectively.

Other add-ons permit precise temperature adjustments. The fluctuations can be monitored on a built-in LCD or LED display.

The mainland’s Yixiong Electrical Appliance Industrial Co. Ltd has equipped its latest models with a sensor-based thermostat. It has also released energy-efficient designs with a constant temperature of 10 C. This helps ensure the preservation of fruit and vegetables stored inside the unit.

CFC-free designs from Yixiong can cool to 20 C below ambient temperature and warm to 63 C. They consume 45 and 65W on DC and AC mode. An LED display is installed on the front panels or doors.

Winkeen’s car refrigerators keep fruit and beverages cold at 20 C below ambient temperature and hot at 65 C. Rated from 38 to 68W, these run on AC or DC power.

Shenzhen Angel has launched models with a maximum heating capacity of 70 C. Products go for $15 to $50.

R&D efforts at Ligao center on reducing operating noise. Suitable for the upright storage of 1.5L bottles, the company’s models are capable of cooling to 5 C.

Thermoelectric AC/DC car refrigerators from For Yung can be used to form ice. The line’s power consumption rating is 45W.

Shen Tsan offers models that maintain temperature at 0 C for 36 to 47 hours when placed in 38 C environments. After this period of time elapses, the temperature inside the refrigerator rises to 6 C. Designs are patented in the mainland, Japan, Europe and the US.