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What is DC Airco?
DC Airco is a Netherlands-based designer and manufacturer of HVAC and thermal management systems for vehicles and equipment that run on electric or DC power. Its focus is on cooling and heating battery packs, cabins and other onboard equipment in applications where a standard mains-powered air conditioner would not work.
What it actually makes
The product line is organised around monoblock units — self-contained cooling or heat-pump assemblies — rather than split systems. From the catalogue material, the ranges split roughly by application:
- E-mobility and battery/equipment — liquid-to-liquid and air-to-air units, with cooling in the low single-digit to mid-single-digit kW range and optional heat-pump heating.
- Rolling stock and railway — air-to-air monoblocks, including AC-powered primary voltage with a DC secondary supply.
- Truck, mining and defence/rescue — air-to-air units, some cooling-only, some with electric heating.
Primary voltages span high-voltage DC (for example 350 and 630 Vdc) down to 24 Vdc, which reflects the two very different worlds it serves: high-voltage traction batteries and low-voltage vehicle electrical systems.
Who it is for
The typical buyer is an OEM or systems integrator, not an individual consumer. If you are building electric buses, locomotives, mining trucks, or defence and rescue vehicles, and you need a thermal subsystem rather than a complete vehicle, this is the kind of supplier you would approach. The presence of a "custom products" stream alongside standard units matters: it signals willingness to adapt dimensions, voltages and cooling capacity to a specific platform.
How to evaluate it
Two practical questions decide fit. First, is your application on the standard catalogue list — if so, you avoid custom engineering cost and lead time. Second, does your supply voltage and required cooling capacity match an existing series, since the ranges are fairly specific. If neither holds, ask about the custom route and expect a longer development cycle.
A useful next step is to browse the unit catalogue by series and compare cooling and heating capacity, configuration (air-to-air or liquid-to-liquid) and primary voltage against your platform's requirements. For context on the wider market, Danfoss and Webasto also supply vehicle thermal management, though their product mixes and target segments differ.
Which DC Airco product series best fits a high-voltage electric bus or off-highway vehicle battery pack?
For a high-voltage electric bus or off-highway vehicle battery pack, the DC Airco series to look at first is the DC6000 / DC6001, with the DC12000 / DC12700 as the more general air-to-air alternative.
Why the DC6000/DC6001 fits high-voltage battery packs
- It is listed under e-Mobility and Battery/Equipment, which matches the traction-battery use case.
- It uses a liquid-to-liquid monoblock configuration, so it can interface with a liquid-cooled battery pack rather than only cooling cabin or equipment air.
- It is shown with a primary voltage of 630/350 Vdc, i.e. it is designed around high-voltage DC systems rather than a 12/24 V auxiliary supply.
- It is shown with a secondary voltage of 24/12 Vdc, which is typical for control electronics.
- Cooling is listed at roughly 3–8.5 kW, with heating at 2.1–6.9 kW and a heat-pump option. That makes it more suitable for larger packs and higher heat loads than the smaller air-to-air units.
When the DC12000/DC12700 is the better fit
Choose the DC12000 / DC12700 if the pack or equipment enclosure is air-cooled, or if you want a simpler air-to-air monoblock rather than a liquid circuit. It is also listed for Battery/Equipment and supports 630/350/48/24 Vdc primary voltage, with cooling around 0.5–5 kW and multiple heating options including heat pump. It is the more flexible, lower-capacity option; the DC6000/DC6001 is the higher-capacity, liquid-to-liquid route.
Practical decision criterion
Match the unit to the battery pack's cooling method and heat load:
- Liquid-cooled pack, high voltage, higher heat load: DC6000/DC6001.
- Air-cooled pack or enclosure, high voltage, moderate heat load: DC12000/DC12700.
- Rolling stock rather than a bus or off-highway vehicle: the DC24000/DC24001 is the series shown for that market, with 400 Vac primary and 0.5–7 kW cooling.
As a next step, confirm the pack's peak heat rejection, coolant type and flow rate, ambient temperature range, and whether the vehicle uses 350 V or 630 V DC. Those four values will usually decide between the DC6000 family and the DC12000 family more reliably than the series name alone. DC Airco also states that it offers custom products, so a non-standard voltage or capacity requirement can be discussed directly with the manufacturer: DC Airco.
How do I choose between air-to-air and liquid-to-liquid configurations for my equipment?
Choose based on where the heat goes and what your coolant loop looks like. Air-to-air moves heat from the cabinet or battery air into ambient air; liquid-to-liquid moves heat from one liquid circuit into another (typically a vehicle coolant loop or chiller circuit). If your equipment already has a liquid cooling plate or coolant circuit, liquid-to-liquid lets you reject heat through that loop instead of dumping it into the surrounding air. If not, air-to-air is the simpler path.
Quick comparison
| Factor | Air-to-air | Liquid-to-liquid |
|---|---|---|
| Heat path | Cabinet/battery air → ambient air | Coolant loop → secondary coolant loop |
| Best fit | Open cabinets, cabins, rolling stock compartments | Battery packs and power electronics with plates or cold plates |
| Installation | Fewer connections, no coolant plumbing | Needs coolant lines, pump/loop integrity, leak checks |
| Ambient sensitivity | Performance depends on outside air temperature and dust | Less exposed to ambient air, but depends on secondary loop temperature |
| Maintenance | Filters, coils, fans | Coolant condition, fittings, filters, loop pressure |
What to check before deciding
- Does your equipment already have a liquid circuit? If yes, liquid-to-liquid is usually the natural match. If no, adding one may outweigh the benefit.
- Where can rejected heat go? Air-to-air needs clean, cool air and space for airflow. Liquid-to-liquid needs a secondary loop able to absorb the heat.
- What is your ambient environment? Dusty mining sites or hot enclosures favour keeping the heat exchange inside a sealed liquid loop.
- Voltage and power class. DC Airco's catalogue shows air-to-air units spanning roughly 0.5–7 kW cooling and liquid-to-liquid units around 3–8.5 kW, with different primary voltages across series. Match the series to your system rather than assuming one configuration covers all sizes.
- Service access. Air-to-air is easier to inspect and clean on site; liquid-to-liquid demands coolant discipline and leak detection.
Example
A railway compartment with an existing 400 Vac supply and no coolant loop is a straightforward air-to-air case, similar to the DC24000 series. A high-voltage battery pack on an off-highway vehicle with a dedicated coolant circuit is a liquid-to-liquid case, similar to the DC6000 series. If your battery pack has no plate or loop, start with air-to-air and confirm the ambient air path first.
Next step: list your heat load, ambient temperature range, available voltage, and whether a coolant loop exists. Those four answers usually settle the choice before you compare individual units in the catalogue at DC Airco.
Can DC Airco systems be customized for a specific defence or rescue vehicle application?
Yes. DC Airco designs and produces both standard and custom HVAC and thermal management products, and it lists defence/rescue as one of its target sectors. Custom work is a core part of the offer rather than an exception, so a defence or rescue vehicle application is a legitimate starting point for a tailored unit.
How customization typically takes shape
- Voltage and power architecture. The catalogue shows primary voltages such as 630/350/48/24 Vdc and secondary voltages of 24/12 Vdc, so a defence or rescue platform running on a non-standard DC bus or a high-voltage battery pack can be matched rather than forced onto an off-the-shelf input.
- Cooling and heating capacity. Listed cooling ranges span roughly 0.5–8.5 kW depending on series, with heating from cooling-only up to heatpump plus electric heating. A crew cabin, equipment bay or battery enclosure each needs a different balance.
- Air-to-air versus liquid-to-liquid. The DC6000 series is liquid-to-liquid; the DC12000, DC13000 and DC24000 series are air-to-air monoblocks. The choice usually follows whether the heat source is a liquid-cooled battery circuit or open cabin air.
- Configuration. Monoblock units suit vehicles where space and refrigerant plumbing are constrained, which is common in retrofit or armoured applications.
What to weigh before requesting a custom build
Custom engineering adds lead time and requires you to supply a clear thermal load profile, ambient temperature extremes, duty cycle, shock and vibration exposure, and the available mounting envelope. If your requirement sits close to an existing series, adapting a standard unit is usually faster and cheaper than a clean-sheet design. If your platform has unusual voltage, sealing or EMI requirements, custom is the realistic route.
A practical next step: compile a one-page specification covering peak and average heat load, ambient range, supply voltage, mounting space and ingress protection target, then compare it against the DC12000 and DC13000 series before approaching the company about a bespoke variant.
What voltage and cooling capacity ranges are available across DC Airco's unit catalogue?
DC Airco's catalogue spans DC and AC primary voltages from 24 Vdc up to 630 Vdc (with high-voltage battery thermal management presented up to 850 VDC), and cooling capacities from roughly 0.5 kW to 8.5 kW depending on the series.
What the catalogue shows
| Series | Configuration | Cooling | Heating | Primary voltage | Typical applications |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DC6000 / DC6001 | Liquid-to-liquid, monoblock | 3–8.5 kW | 2.1–6.9 kW (heat pump option) | 630/350 Vdc | E-mobility, battery/equipment |
| DC12000 / DC12700 | Air-to-air, monoblock | 0.5–5 kW | 0.5–4.2 kW (cooling only, electric heating, heat pump) | 630/350/48/24 Vdc | Battery/equipment, defence/rescue |
| DC13000 / DC13500 | Air-to-air, monoblock | 0.5–5 kW | 0–1.5 kW (cooling only or electric heating) | 630/350/48/24 Vdc | Truck/mining, defence/rescue |
| DC24000 / DC24001 | Air-to-air, monoblock | 0.5–7 kW | 0–4.5 kW (electric heating) | 400 Vac | Rolling stock/railway |
A secondary voltage of 24 Vdc (12 Vdc on the DC6000) appears across the ranges, which is the control or auxiliary supply rather than the main power input.
How to narrow the choice
Start from your power source, then your heat load. If you are running on a high-voltage traction battery (350–630 Vdc), the DC6000's liquid-to-liquid loop suits direct battery-pack cooling where the heat must be rejected into a coolant circuit. If you have an AC supply — a locomotive auxiliary supply, for instance — the DC24000 air-to-air units at 400 Vac and up to 7 kW are the matching family. For 24 or 48 Vdc systems on trucks, mining equipment or rescue vehicles, the DC12000 and DC13000 cover the lower end at 0.5–5 kW.
The overlap between the DC12000 and DC13000 is worth noting: both cover 0.5–5 kW at the same primary voltages, so the deciding factors are heating range and options. The DC12000 reaches 4.2 kW heating and offers a heat pump, useful if you need warming as well as cooling in cold climates; the DC13000 tops out at 1.5 kW, which is adequate for cooling-dominant installations.
Practical next step
Confirm three figures before requesting a unit: continuous heat load in kW, the available supply voltage and type (DC or AC), and whether the condenser rejects to air or liquid. DC Airco lists both standard and custom products, so a specification outside these ranges is a conversation rather than a dead end. For a fuller picture of the range, see DC Airco.
How does DC Airco support global shipping and delivery from its Netherlands base?
DC Airco supports global shipping mainly through its location in the Netherlands, close to major European transport hubs including Amsterdam Airport and the Port of Rotterdam, which the company says enables fast, reliable and cost-effective worldwide delivery.
What the location means in practice
- Air freight: Proximity to Amsterdam Airport helps with urgent or high-value shipments, such as prototype units, replacement parts or small-batch custom orders.
- Sea freight: The Port of Rotterdam is a major container gateway, making it practical to ship larger or heavier HVAC units to customers outside Europe.
- Road and rail within Europe: The Dutch base sits near leading European suppliers, which can shorten lead times for components and finished units moving to nearby markets.
Who benefits most
This setup suits buyers who need both custom engineering and dependable logistics, such as battery system integrators, defence and rescue organisations, rolling stock operators, and mining or heavy-equipment fleets. For a project engineer ordering a custom liquid-to-liquid unit for a battery system, the ability to ship by air for a pilot and by sea for series production can make scheduling easier.
For a concrete next step, check the product catalogue for the unit that matches your cooling capacity and voltage, then confirm shipping method and lead time directly with DC Airco. Related suppliers in the same space include Danfoss and Carrier.
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