#Mack garbage truck trial#

Over the longer term, given zero-emission trucking’s alignment with their philosophy as a zero-waste organization, and the potential to unlock new business in their environmentally conscious community, EcoCycle is confident that the truck will be a boon for their work. They hope that prices will come down as electric trucks become more common.

EcoCycle said that the Mack truck was significantly more expensive than their standard diesel trucks, but there will be benefits in lower running costs. These are all great benefits, but of course the price needs to be right. Regenerative braking means less energy loss for a truck that needs to stop several times per block.Īnd of course, they’re much quieter and less smelly, which is great for neighborhoods – especially now that so many are working from home. Routes include a lot of stop-and-go and need lots of low-end torque to get a truck up and running when fully loaded, two situations where electric motors shine. Trucks typically return to a depot where they can be charged overnight to be ready for the next day – EcoCycle has installed a 75kW charger in their facility for this purpose, though the Mack LR is capable of 150kW charging. Waste trucks typically have a defined daily route, so energy use is predictable day-to-day, making range of little concern. There are numerous benefits for electric trucks in waste collection.

#Mack garbage truck trial#

It has so far been used in trial programs by the New York City Department of Sanitation and Republic Services in North Carolina.ĮcoCycle was impressed with what they had heard about these trial programs, and opted for the Mack LR over other offerings due to this extensive testing and Mack’s pedigree. It comes equipped with two motors offering 448 continuous horsepower and 4,051 lb.-ft. The Mack LR Electric promises the same usability as their diesel models, but with all the benefits of electric drive. Their new electric Mack truck will be used for their curbside composting program, joining EcoCycle’s fleet of 13 waste collection trucks. The truck is a Mack LR electric and EcoCycle hopes that it will be first of many adopted by the industry.ĮcoCycle is a “ zero waste to landfill” organization that has offered curbside recycling in Boulder for 46 years, one of the first communities in the nation to do so.

EcoCycle, a nonprofit recycler in Boulder, Colorado, is putting into service the nation’s first commercial electric truck for compostable waste collection.