Mack makes EV collection truck sales

Mack Trucks, headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, has announced the sale of four Mack LR electric vehicle (EV) refuse collection trucks to three different cities. The announcements were timed to coincide with the 2022 WasteExpo event in Las Vegas.

The city of Ocala, Florida, has purchased two Mack LR Electric models to add to its solid waste management fleet, Mack says.

“It’s no surprise that a progressive operation like the city of Ocala, a longtime Mack customer, is ready to deploy two Mack LR Electric trucks to help them achieve their environmental goals, as well as to reduce the noise during refuse collection,” says Jonathan Randall, Mack Trucks senior vice president of sales and commercial operations. “The LR Electric features battery-electric technology that offers zero emissions and a quiet ride, as well as all of the amenities of our popular diesel-powered LR model.”

The City of Ocala, population 65,000, operates 40 refuse vehicles in its fleet, collecting both residential and commercial refuse. That same city also has deployed EV trucks made by New Way and BYD.

About 70 percent of the city’s waste collection capacity is serving commercial routes, utilizing front-loaders, and 30 percent is residential, using automated side-loaders. Mack says the LR Electric models will be involved in both.

“We chose the Mack LR Electric for numerous reasons,” says John King, fleet and facilities director for the city of Ocala. “Mack has an excellent reputation for building refuse vehicles, so they fully understand the complexities associated with the collection of garbage and waste disposal. We have a longtime relationship with Mack and have many diesel-powered Mack trucks in our fleet, so our technicians are familiar with the vehicles. Further, Mack has been producing trucks for more than 100 years, so it’s natural that they would successfully progress to EVs.”

Farther south in Florida, Miami-Dade County has agreed to purchase a Mack LR Electric refuse vehicle, calling it the first heavy-duty EV to be added to its fleet. The Miami-Dade LR Electric vehicle is fitted with a truck body made by Canada-based Labrie Group. Nextran Truck Centers will service and support the vehicle.

The LR Electric model will be used in residential route collection by Miami-Dade County Department of Solid Waste Management, which serves a population of 2.8 million.

“We are extremely excited about adding our very first electric truck to our solid waste collection fleet to help us reduce emissions and reach our climate action goals,” Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava says. “Miami-Dade County is fully committed to climate action, and this is the perfect example of how we are investing in innovative, energy-efficient alternatives that allow us to continue providing the best service to our residents while also protecting the environment.”

On the opposite coast, the city of Santa Cruz, California, has purchased a Mack LR Electric refuse vehicle, as the first fully electric vehicle in its sanitation fleet, according to Mack. The truck maker says Santa Cruz also “plans to purchase another.”

Santa Cruz staff decided to purchase the Mack LR Electric after investigating EVs produced by several OEMs, according to Mack. The city plans to begin operating the LR Electric truck in September on a route that is both residential and commercial.

“The city is committed to sustainability and green energy,” says Guadalupe Sanchez, superintendent of resource recovery for disposal and processing for the city of Santa Cruz. “The Mack LR Electric will help us reduce emissions, improving air quality while also helping us move toward our environmental goals. Our confidence in the LR Electric was further elevated following a demonstration showcasing the vehicle’s performance.”

The LR Electric is produced at the Mack Lehigh Valley Operations facility in Pennsylvania, where all Mack Class 8 models for North America and export are assembled, the company says.