Mack to begin commercial production of electric refuse truck

Mack Truck has announced that it will commercialize the Mack LR Electric refuse truck it has been testing, and the trucks will be manufactured in the Lehigh Valley.

The company said it plans to begin production on the trucks at Mack Lehigh Valley in Lower Macungie Township in 2021. It will begin taking orders for the new trucks in the fourth quarter of this year.

After being introduced as a prototype in 2018, the company had been testing the truck with the New York City Department of Sanitation earlier this year.

“Mack’s leadership in the refuse segment goes back more than a century, and we’re pleased to build on that heritage today by announcing the commercialization of the LR Electric model,” said company president Martin Weissburg. “This clean, quiet and powerful truck demonstrates the very best of Mack innovation and our people, and I couldn’t be more proud to announce our plans to build it.”

The company said the new zero-emissions truck will help customers reach their own environmental goals as well as local emissions regulations.

It will also benefit customers working in an urban setting who are seeking to cut noise pollution and operate quietly at night.

“The LR Electric is paving the way toward widespread acceptance of zero-emissions refuse trucks,” Weissburg said. “As we begin delivering them to customers in the coming year, we remain committed to ensuring these trucks are built to meet the unique needs of the refuse industry.”