Eco-Cycle Orders Mack LR Electric as its First BEV

Mack Trucks has announced Eco-Cycle, a nonprofit recycler organization in the U.S., recently ordered a Mack LR Electric battery electric vehicle (BEV) as the first BEV in its fleet.

The announcement was made during an event with Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and other state and local officials, Eco-Cycle, Bruckner’s Truck Equipment, and Mack representatives at University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) in Boulder, Colorado.

Eco-Cycle was established in 1976. Eco-Cycle volunteers brought curbside recycling to Boulder that same year, making the city one of the first 20 in the U.S. to offer curbside recycling. The Mack LR Electric will help Eco-Cycle achieve another “first,” leading the transition toward electric-powered fleets for haulers, particularly in the waste, recycling, and composting industry.

Eco-Cycle plans for the Mack LR Electric vehicle to travel 15,000 miles each year collecting compostables generated by commercial and residential clients and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emission by 2,500 tons over the vehicle’s lifetime.

Featuring twin electric motors offering 448 continuous horsepower and 4,051 lb.-ft. of peak output torque from zero RPM, the Mack LR Electric is offered with a two-speed Mack Powershift transmission, Mack mRIDE suspension, and Mack’s S462R 46,000-lb. rear axles.

Four NMC (Nickle Manganese Cobalt Oxide) lithium-ion batteries, charged through a 150kW, SAE J1772-compliant charging system, provide vehicle propulsion and power for all onboard accessories, driven through 12V, 24V and 600V circuits. The two-stage regenerative braking system accounts for the refuse truck’s increasing load throughout the day and helps recapture energy from the hundreds of stops the vehicle makes each day.

The LR Electric is available with Mack GuardDog Connect, Mack’s integrated telematics solution. GuardDog Connect monitors battery health and performance and checks for fault codes and defects reported by the battery and electric components of the energy storage system.

When a critical fault code is detected, Mack GuardDog Connect proactively contacts Mack OneCall agents at the Uptime Center in Greensboro, North Carolina. OneCall agents support Mack customers by coordinating repairs and service with the Mack dealer network during planned and unplanned service events. Eco-Cycle will be supported by Bruckner’s Truck and Equipment in Boulder.

The LR Electric model may be fitted with equipment bodies from a number of manufacturers, allowing the truck to be tailored to each customer’s unique needs. Customers can choose from the same driver/passenger side driving configurations, seating choices, and door options as those offered on the diesel-powered LR model.