The New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) is purchasing seven Mack LR Electric refuse models, which will operate in each of the city’s boroughs.
DSNY took delivery of its first fully electric refuse vehicle, a Mack LR Electric demonstration model, in September 2020, when it began rigorous real-world testing in Brooklyn. Since then, DSNY has been evaluating payload capacity, regenerative braking, overall vehicle performance, operating range and charging requirements.
Four nickel manganese cobalt oxide lithium-ion batteries, charged through a 150 kW, SAE J1772-compliant charging system, offer vehicle propulsion and power for all onboard accessories, driven through 12 V, 24 V and 600 V circuits. The three-mode 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 DSNY order for an additional seven Mack LR Electric trucks speaks to the fact that the performance of the current LR Electric demonstrator model collecting in Brooklyn is meeting and even exceeding their expectations,” says Jonathan Randall, Mack Trucks’ senior vice president of sales and commercial operations. “The Mack LR Electric is equipped with Mack’s integrated electric powertrain and will help New York City and DSNY achieve its zero-emissions goals.”
The world’s largest municipal sanitation department, DSNY collects about 12,000 tons of refuse and recyclables daily, with more than 6,000 vehicles – the majority of which are Mack trucks.
“The Mack LR Electric demonstrator is performing well, and we look forward to when we have one in each of our city’s zones,” says DSNY Commissioner Edward Grayson.
The seven battery-electric vehicles (BEV) will be located in the seven zones within New York City – the Bronx, Brooklyn North, Brooklyn South, Manhattan, Queens East, Queens West and Staten Island. DSNY will use a DC fast charger to charge each of the vehicles.
Mack first introduced a prototype of the Mack LR Electric at WasteExpo 2018, announcing its plans to partner with DSNY for real-world testing. Serial production of the model – which will be built at Mack’s Lehigh Valley Operations facility in Macungie, Pa. – will begin this year.