The Town of Cary, North Carolina, recently ordered a Mack® LR Electric Class 8 refuse vehicle to reaffirm its commitment to sustainability and its citizens.
The Mack LR Electric will provide the community with reduced emissions, maintenance, and fuel costs. The city expects the LR Electric to be in full operation in the fall of 2023. This order makes Cary the first municipality in North Carolina to order a Mack LR Electric refuse vehicle.
“Mack congratulates the Town of Cary on their pursuit of sustainable operations and is proud that they have chosen to purchase and deploy a Mack LR Electric to help achieve their goals,” says Jonathan Randall, Mack Trucks senior vice president of sales and commercial operations. “We look forward to continuing our commitment to developing sustainable transportation solutions with Cary and our other customers, as well as helping them fulfill their environmental goals.”
Cary, population 180,000, chose the Mack LR Electric as the first battery-electric vehicle (BEV) in its refuse fleet. The city chose Mack in recognition of Mack’s history of producing refuse vehicles to meet the demands and requirements of customers. Further, Mack’s experience with the diesel-powered LR helped ensure that the LR Electric would be successful, town executives said.
“The Mack LR Electric truck is our latest step toward creating a sustainable and resilient Cary,” says Danna Widmar, assistant town manager. “Cary prioritizes managing, preserving, and enhancing our natural environment to support a high quality of life, so we’re looking forward to seeing how this addition to our electric fleet contributes to our emissions reduction objectives.”
THE MACK LR ELECTRIC
Launched in March 2022, the next generation Mack LR Electric offers a standard 376 kWh total battery capacity. As a result, the truck offers 42% more energy and increased range between vehicle charges. Twin electric motors produce 448 continuous hp as well as 4,051 lb-ft of peak torque output from zero RPM.
Four NMC (Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide) lithium-ion batteries, charged through a 150 kW, SAE J1772-compliant charging system, power the vehicle and all onboard accessories through 12V, 24V, and 600V circuits. The two-stage regenerative braking system helps recapture energy from the stops the vehicle makes each day with an increasing load.
The Mack LR Electric features a copper-colored Bulldog on the cab to signify the all-electric powertrain. It also features the same driver- and passenger-side configurations and seat and door options as diesel-powered Mack LR models. Owners can upfit the LR Electric with bodies from various manufacturers to meet each customer’s set of needs.
Cary will equip its LR Electric vehicle with an automated side-loader and will operate in residential areas. Cary currently services about 54,000 customers, a mix of residents and businesses.
FOR THE ROAD AHEAD
To help simplify the purchase process and help customers manage associated expenses, Mack launched its all-inclusive Vehicle-as-a-Service (VaaS). VaaS includes the vehicle chassis, the refuse body, and applicable taxes. It also includes a comprehensive vehicle protection plan, the Mack Ultra Service Agreement, for the Mack LR Electric model.
The Mack Ultra Service Agreement, a comprehensive uptime package that is standard on all Mack LR Electric models, includes scheduled maintenance, preventive maintenance, towing and repair, a battery monitoring service, and Mack’s connected uptime services in one package. It can be included with monthly truck payments for customers in the US and Canada through Mack Financial Services (MFS).
Mack also provides access to strategic supplier partnerships. This helps fleets with investigating funding opportunities and making charging infrastructure recommendations to support their short- and long-term EV needs.
Cary is currently developing specific emissions reduction as well as green-fleet action plans to reduce emissions 100% by 2040. The town will accomplish this by transitioning individual vehicle types upon annual capital fulfillment with the best available technologies. Cary adheres to a Fleet Efficiency Standard Procedure that outlines its commitment to right-sizing vehicles and full fleet utilization. It also commits to efficient driving habits, route planning, maintenance, and measurements of key metrics like fuel use, fuel cost, emissions, maintenance cost, fleet size, and miles driven.
Find out more, visit www.macktrucks.com.
