Miami-Dade County, Florida, purchased a Mack LR Electric refuse vehicle, the first heavy-duty electric vehicle to be added to its fleet.
Mack Trucks announced several public fleets have purchased Mack LR Electric refuse trucks.
Miami-Dade County, Florida, purchased one, the first heavy-duty electric vehicle to be added to its fleet. The Miami-Dade LR Electric vehicle is fitted with a Labrie body and will be used in residential route collection.
The vehicle will be powered with electricity generated by the county’s waste-to-energy facility. The facility creates enough electricity from waste collected in the county to supply its own needs, as well as to generate revenue for the county.
“The Mack LR Electric vehicle will be powered by the garbage it collects,” said Danny Diaz, director of fleet management for the Miami-Dade County Department of Solid Waste. “We are closely monitoring electric vehicles, and we plan to purchase more — especially when you factor in the savings on fuel and maintenance.”
The City of Ocala, Florida, recently purchased two Mack LR Electric refuse vehicles to add to its solid waste management fleet.
The City of Ocala, Florida, also recently purchased two Mack LR Electric refuse vehicles.
The city operates 40 refuse vehicles in its fleet, collecting both residential and commercial refuse. About 70% of the city’s waste collection is on commercial routes, utilizing front-loaders, and 30% is residential, using automated side-loaders. The Mack LR Electric models will do both.
“We feel that electric vehicles are the trucks of the future,” said John King, fleet and facilities director for the City of Ocala. “One of the most compelling reasons why electric vehicles are key is fuel costs. Our residential diesel-powered refuse vehicles travel 75 miles per day, servicing about 1,000 homes. That’s about $145 in fuel consumption, per truck, per day. With the electric vehicle, it costs about $30 to charge it. The savings are huge.”
Maintenance costs also are greatly reduced with the LR Electric because there is no engine or pump. King said the City of Ocala has already seen reduced maintenance costs with the electric models.
The City of Ocala received a 2020 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to help with the purchase. Ocala also received an additional $1 million grant to buy four more electric vehicles.
Lastly, the City of Santa Cruz, California, recently purchased a Mack LR Electric refuse vehicle, the first fully electric vehicle in the municipality’s sanitation fleet, and plans to purchase another.
Santa Cruz staff decided to purchase the Mack LR Electric refuse vehicle after investigating electric vehicles produced by several OEMs. After testing and verifying that the Mack LR Electric would be able to manage the rigors of waste collection, Santa Cruz staff purchased the vehicle and recently ordered one additional truck. Santa Cruz plans to begin operating the truck in September on a route that is both residential and commercial.
Santa Cruz currently has about 25 heavy-duty refuse vehicles in its fleet, consisting primarily of Mack diesel models.
Nextran of Lake City, Florida, will service and support the vehicles at Ocala and Miami-Dade County. TEC Equipment will offer service and support for Santa Cruz’s vehicles.
Mack LR Electric Offers Increased Range
Introduced in March 2022, the Mack LR Electric model offers 42% more energy and a standard 376kWh total battery capacity for increased range between charges. Twin electric motors produce 448 continuous horsepower and a 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. They also provide for all onboard accessories through 12V, 24V, and 600V circuits. The two-stage regenerative braking system helps recapture energy from the hundreds of stops the LR Electric truck makes each day with an increasing load. A copper-colored Bulldog is featured on the cab of the truck, signifying the all-electric powertrain.
The Mack LR Electric may be fitted with equipment bodies from numerous manufacturers based on the needs of each Mack customer. The same driver/passenger side driving configurations, seating choices, and door options are available for the LR Electric as for the diesel-powered Mack LR model.
Mack began production of the Mack LR Electric in 2021 at the Mack Lehigh Valley Operations (LVO) facility based in Macungie, Pennsylvania. LVO is where all heavy-duty Mack vehicles for North America and export are assembled.
