Casella Waste Systems introduced Vermont’s first electric refuse truck — Mack LR Electric.

Casella just received the Mack LR Electric delivery, which will be used in residential collection in Rutland, Vermont.

“Congratulations to Casella for its dedication to sustainability,” said Jonathan Randall, president of Mack Trucks North America. “The Mack LR Electric is Mack’s first fully electric Class 8 vehicle, and we look forward to helping Casella meet sustainability goals and helping the State of Vermont move toward decarbonization.”

The Mack LR Electric will provide the community with reduced emissions, maintenance, and fuel costs and will be in full operation by Jan. 1, 2023.

Casella chose the Mack LR Electric for several reasons, one of which was the confidence executives had that Mack would deliver a safe, reliable vehicle for Casella to service its customers.

The LR Electric was introduced Dec. 8 to state representatives, local business leaders, and more with Vermont Gov. Phil Scott.

“Sustainable innovation is core to everything we do as a company,” said Casella Chairman and CEO John W. Casella.

“The opportunity to pilot the Mack LR Electric in Vermont will help us evaluate whether this is a viable option in other markets that we serve. The opportunity to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, while maintaining a high level of service to our customers, is key to us.”

Growing to Meet the Customers Needs

Founded in 1975 as a single truck collection service, Casella grew to provide solid waste collection and disposal, transfer, recycling and organics services to more than 900,000 residential, commercial, municipal, institutional and industrial customers throughout the Northeast and professional resource management services to more than 10,000 customer locations in more than 40 states.

The next generation Mack LR Electric, launched in March 2022 offers a standard 376 kWh total battery capacity for 42% more energy and increased range between vehicle charges.

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 each day with an increasing load.

 Featuring a copper-colored Bulldog on the cab of the LR Electric to signify the all-electric powertrain, the LR Electric offers the same driver- and passenger-side configurations, as well as seat and door options, as those that are available on the diesel-powered Mack LR model. The LR Electric can be fitted with bodies from various manufacturers to meet each customer’s unique set of needs.

Equipping the LR Electric Refuse Vehicle

Casella’s LR Electric refuse vehicle will be equipped with an automated side-loader with a split body for collecting trash and recycling simultaneously. Casella currently has more than 1,000 refuse vehicles in its fleet, with the majority of them being Mack trucks.

“We have a longstanding and successful relationship with Mack Trucks, and specifically with our dealer Ballard Mack,” Casella said. “We’re excited to see how the LR Electric performs during the pilot in Vermont.”

To help simplify the purchase process and help customers better manage expenses associated with acquiring the Mack LR Electric model, Mack recently launched its all-inclusive Vehicle-as-a-Service (VaaS).

VaaS includes the vehicle chassis, the refuse body, applicable taxes and 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, preventative 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 U.S. and Canada through Mack Financial Services (MFS).

“The Mack Ultra Service Agreement was a huge selling point for us,” Casella said.

 Mack also provides access to strategic supplier partnerships, investigating available funding opportunities and making key charging infrastructure recommendations to support their short- and long-term EV needs.         

Casella Waste Systems isn’t the only company investing in Mack LR Electric. A town in Cary, North Carolina also ordered the refuse vehicle for its town. Overall, the Mack LR Electric is an ideal solution for companies looking to reduce emissions in their town.