Mack delivers LR Electric refuse truck to City of Portland, Maine

City of Portland, Maine, officials recently took delivery of a Class 8 Mack LR Electric model – the state’s first refuse battery-electric vehicle (BEV) – during an event in the city. A combined grant from the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Diesel Emissions Reduction Act and the Maine Department of EPA helped fund the purchase of the LR Electric vehicle.

“The city of Portland’s choice to purchase the Mack LR Electric refuse truck to help meet its sustainability goals speaks to the partnership approach that allowed Mack and the city to implement the needed ecosystem of service and support for electric vehicles,” Jonathan Randall, president of Mack Trucks North America, said. “Mack is excited to deliver the first electrified refuse vehicle to Maine.”

Portland has a goal to run on 100% clean energy by 2040, and the city says it is also interested in improving air quality and transitioning from diesel to electric vehicles to reduce emissions.

Portland’s Mack LR Electric is equipped with a Heil 25 cubic-yard rear loader body, and it will be serviced and supported at O’Connor Motor Company based in Portland.

The next-generation Mack LR Electric offers a standard 376 kWh total battery capacity for 42% more energy and increased range between vehicle charges, Mack said. Twin electric motors produce 448 continuous horsepower and 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 hundreds of stops the vehicle makes daily with an increasing load, according to Mack.

Portland executives said they chose the Mack LR Electric model for multiple reasons, including the availability of local dealer support and the comprehensive Mack Ultra Service Maintenance Agreement offering. Mack said its Ultra Service Agreement gives Mack LR Electric customers an uptime package tailored specifically for the technical needs of BEVs. It includes scheduled maintenance, preventative maintenance, towing and repair, a battery monitoring service and Mack’s connected uptime services in one package that can be included with monthly truck payments.

In February 2020, Mayor Andrew Ginther announced an ambitious goal: Columbus, Ohio, the state’s most populous city, would be carbon neutral by 2050. To meet that objective, city officials and community stakeholders in the state capital created a Climate Action Plan.

At the city’s Division of Fleet Management, sustainability initiatives are detailed in a Green Fleet Action Plan that was first implemented in 2011 and is updated every three years. “The plan is a roadmap to greening our city's fleet,” said Amy Krohn, environmental policy and project manager in the Division of Fleet Management. “The latest update to the plan builds on successes while strengthening our ongoing efforts to reduce our carbon footprint.”