One of the noisiest, biggest and dirtiest vehicles that have been created is undergoing a hopeful transformation. And is that more and more companies are aiming to develop electric garbage trucks, and even autonomous as Volvo has done.

Mack Trucks, part of the Volvo Group, has presented its first 100% electric garbage truck, the Mack Electric LR, which will start testing in New York City next year.

A truck that must collect efficiently 12,000 tons of garbage a day

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Introducing the Mack Electric LR. The fully electric powertrain lets you navigate your route with the same dependability as the Mack LR – while reducing carbon emissions to nearly zero.  

Since you won't have to worry about oil changes and aftertreatment systems, you can save on operational costs and increase uptime and with the electric truck's quieter operation, you can even run your city route at night.

The Mack Electric LR uses four lithium-ion batteries (composed of cobalt and manganese oxide, nickel and lithium) that charge at a power of up to 150 kW. The two AC motors generate 260 kW of continuous power, while they allow a maximum total power of 370 kW to be developed. The two-speed Mack Powershift transmission sends power to the truck's rear axles. bloomberg.com/press-releases

“The Mack LR BEV is the latest example of Mack’s leadership within the refuse and recycling industry,” said Jonathan Randall, Mack Trucks senior vice president, North American sales and marketing. “Built on our decades of experience in powertrain innovation, the electric LR delivers a powerful yet quiet, zero-emission solution designed to tackle one of the most demanding applications in one of the largest cities in the world.”

Fully electric trucks like the Mack LR BEV give a number of privileges, including zero emissions and the potential for augmented environmental sustainability. In addition, fully electric trucks generate significantly less noise, enabling nighttime service, a especially engaging option for refuse operators in urban surroundings.