Truck & Off-Highway Engineering - February 2022 - 22

ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT
Mack begins production of Class-8 LR Electric model
Mack Trucks' first fully electric Class 8
vehicle, the LR Electric, has entered
serial production at Mack's Lehigh
Valley Operations facility in Macungie,
Pennsylvania.
Mack announced the launch of the LR
Electric in 2018 and delivered its first
demonstration truck to the New York
City Department of Sanitation (DSNY)
in September 2020 to undergo realworld
testing. Having passed its evaluation
cycle, the LR Electric is now greenlit
for production and delivery to customers.
DSNY recently announced plans
to purchase seven of the electric trucks.
" Mack has long been a leader in the
refuse segment, and we couldn't be
more pleased to now be producing
Mack LR Electric vehicles to help our
customers meet their sustainability
goals, " said Jonathan Randall, Mack
Trucks senior vice president of sales
and commercial operations. " Customer
response to the LR Electric has been
overwhelmingly positive, and we look
forward to putting more into fleet operations
now that we are in production. "
The LR Electric is powered by four
lithium-ion batteries and can be charged
via a 150-kW, SAE J1772-compliant
charging system. The NMC (nickel manganese
cobalt oxide) batteries provide
power to a pair of AC motors with a
The Mack LR Electric model is now in serial production at the company's Lehigh Valley Operations
facility, where all Class-8 Mack vehicles for North America and export are assembled.
combined peak output of 400 kW (536
hp) and a continuous output of 334 kW
(448 hp). Power is transferred via a
2-speed Mack Powershift gearbox. The
batteries also provide continuous power
for all onboard accessories through 12V,
24V and 600V electric circuits. A threemode
regenerative braking system enables
energy recapture from the truck's
frequent stops.
The LR Electric has a GVWR of
66,000 lbs. (29,937 kg) and a stated
range of 70 miles (113 km), with a
charge time of 90 minutes at a rate of
150 kW. The company also claims that
the LR Electric's energy consumption
can be as low as 0.3 kWh/ton-mile.
The LR Electric may be upfitted in
several body configurations from numerous
manufacturers based on customer
needs. It shares many of the
same interior appointments with the
diesel-powered LR model, including
driver/passenger side driving configurations,
as well as seating choices and
door options. There is one unique deviation
from the diesel LRs: All LR
Electrics receive a copper-colored
Bulldog hood ornament as a nod to the
electric model's unique drivetrain.
Mack also announced that the LR
Equipped
with four
NMC (nickel
manganese
cobalt oxide)
lithium-ion
batteries, the
LR Electric is
charged by a
150-kW, SAE
J1772-compliant
charging
system.
22 February 2022
Electric comes standard with the Mack
Ultra Service Agreement, which offers
customers a tailored uptime package
designed specifically to meet the
unique needs of a battery-electric vehicle.
It is also supported by Mack
GuardDog Connect, Mack's integrated
telematics solution. The system monitors
the LR Electric's batteries for health
and performance.
All LR Electrics will be assembled at
Mack's Macungie facility, alongside the
company's internal combustion engine
(ICE) offerings. Mack currently has two
dealers, located in California and Idaho,
that are certified to sell the LR Electric.
Additional dealerships are in the process
of updating their infrastructure to
meet the requirements to sell the company's
electrified trucks.
Matt Wolfe
TRUCK & OFF-HIGHWAY ENGINEERING
BOTH IMAGES: MACK TRUCKS

Truck & Off-Highway Engineering - February 2022

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