Cary, North Carolina, aims to reduce emissions with new Mack electric collection vehicle

The Town of Cary, North Carolina, has ordered a Mack LR Electric Class 8 collection vehicle to reaffirm its commitment to sustainability and its citizens.

The Mack LR Electric will provide the community with reduced emissions, maintenance, and fuel costs. The collection vehicle is expected to be in full operation in the fall of 2023. This order makes Cary the first municipality in North Carolina to order a Mack LR Electric collection vehicle.

"Mack congratulates the Town of Cary on their pursuit of sustainable operations and is proud that they have chosen to purchase and deploy a Mack LR Electric to help achieve their goals," says Jonathan Randall, Mack Trucks' senior vice president of sales and commercial operations. "We look forward to continuing our commitment to developing sustainable transportation solutions with Cary and our other customers, as well as helping them fulfill their environmental goals."

Cary, population 180,000, chose the Mack LR Electric as the first battery-electric vehicle (BEV) in its collection fleet in recognition of Mack's history of producing collection vehicles to meet the specific demands and requirements of municipalities and recyclers.

"The Mack LR Electric truck is our latest step toward creating a sustainable and resilient Cary," says Danna Widmar, assistant town manager. "Cary prioritizes managing, preserving, and enhancing our natural environment to support a high quality of life, so we're looking forward to seeing how this addition to our electric fleet contributes to our emissions reduction objectives."

Launched in March 2022, the next generation Mack LR Electric offers a standard 376 kWh total battery capacity for 42 percent more energy and an 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.

Cary's LR Electric vehicle will be equipped with an automated side-loader and will operate in residential areas. Cary currently serves about 54,000 stops, a mix of residents and businesses.

Cary is currently developing specific emissions reduction and green-fleet action plans to reduce emissions by 100 percent by 2040. This will be accomplished by transitioning individual vehicle types upon annual capital fulfillment with the best available technologies. Cary adheres to a fleet efficiency standard procedure that outlines its commitment to right-sizing vehicles, full fleet utilization, efficient driving habits, route planning, maintenance and measurements of key metrics like fuel use, fuel cost, emissions, maintenance cost, fleet size, and miles driven.