Get FinancingNonprofit Recycler Eco-Cycle Orders First BEV, A Mack LR Electric
Eco-Cycle, one of the largest nonprofit recyclers in the U.S., recently ordered the first battery-electric vehicle (BEV) for its fleet: a Mack LR Electric. The announcement was made during an event at University Corporation for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, with representatives from Eco-Cycle, Bruckner’s Truck Equipment, and Mack Trucks, with Colorado governor Jared Polis and other state and local officials in attendance.
Established in 1976, Eco-Cycle introduced curbside recycling to Boulder and made the city one of the first 20 in the U.S. to offer the service. The Mack LR Electric will help the company transition to an electric-powered fleet and is expected to travel 15,000 miles each year to collect compostables from commercial and residential clients. The LR Electric is projected to reduce Eco-Cycle’s greenhouse gas emissions by 2,500 tons over its lifetime.
“Mack is extremely pleased that Eco-Cycle chose to order the Mack LR Electric to help them fulfill their commitment to Zero Waste and now Zero Emissions,” says Jonathan Randall, Mack senior vice president of sales and operations. “We congratulate Eco-Cycle for setting a new bar and becoming the nation’s first in the composting industry to operate a battery-electric vehicle.”
About The Mack LR Electric
The Mack LR is powered by twin electric motors offering 448 continuous horsepower (334 kilowatts) and 4,051 pounds-foot (5,492 newton-meters) of peak torque output from zero RPM. It comes with a two-speed Mack Powershift transmission, Mack mRIDE suspension, and the proprietary S462R 46,000-pound (20,865-kilogram) rear axles. Vehicle power and propulsion are supplied by four nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC) lithium-ion batteries. The batteries are charged through a 150-kW SAE J1772-compliant charging system. The two-stage regenerative braking system recaptures energy from the hundreds of stops Eco-Cycle’s truck will make each day and helps offset increased energy demands as the truck’s load accumulates throughout a shift.
The electric truck is available with Mack GuardDog Connect, the integrated telematics solution that monitors battery health and performance and checks for fault codes and defects from the battery and the electric components of the energy storage system. When a critical fault code is detected, Mack GuardDog Connect automatically contacts Mack OneCall agents to coordinate repairs and service.
“Eco-Cycle is excited to partner with Mack and their global leadership in our transition to EV collection vehicles,” says Eco-Cycle Executive Director Suzanne Jones. “Mack has developed not only a cutting-edge EV truck, but their depth of understanding of the challenges of innovation make them an exceptional collaborator. From the extensive testing of the LR Electric, to the collaboration with Bruckner’s, the local dealer, Mack has built a platform that we are certain will enable our collective success.”
“Eco-Cycle is proud to be pioneering the first commercial-scale electric-powered collection truck for compostables to help lead the transition of commercial scale fleet electrification, merging our mission of Zero Waste with that of Zero Emissions for a more climate-resilient future,” Jones adds. “This effort is in keeping with Eco-Cycle’s long history of pioneering ‘firsts’ for the recycling, composting, and waste industry.”
Source: Mack Trucks