The New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) has received the Calstart Blue Sky Award for its greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction goals, part of which will be realized through the use of the Mack LR Electric model for refuse pickup.
Calstart is a Pasadena, California-based nonprofit organization working nationally and internationally with businesses and governments to develop clean, efficient transportation solutions. Its Blue Sky Award is designed to recognize outstanding market contributions to advanced sustainable transportation that cleans the air, improves energy efficiency and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
“Mack congratulates DSNY on its recognition by Calstart for its e-mobility efforts and for its consistent plans to implement new technologies to help reduce emissions,” says Jonathan Randall, Mack Trucks, Greensboro, North Carolina, senior vice president of sales and commercial operations. “We are proud that the Mack LR Electric will help them achieve their ambitious goals.”
DSNY accepted the keys to the Mack LR Electric demonstration model in September, when it began real-world testing in New York City, the world’s largest municipal sanitation department with more than 6,000 vehicles collecting 12,000 tons of refuse and recyclables each day, Mack says in a news release recognizing DSNY for the award.
“We fully intend to work toward reducing GHG emissions by 80 percent by the year 2035,” says Rocco DiRico, deputy commissioner for support services at the DSNY. “One way in which we hope to accomplish this is by testing the fully electric 72,000-pound Mack LR Electric rear loader in the DSNY fleet. With the support of Acting Commissioner Edward Grayson and the men and women of DSNY, we aim to lead the country in its quest for a carbon-free fleet.”
Mack recently announced it would begin commercialization of the Mack LR Electric model at its Lehigh Valley operations in Macungie, Pennsylvania, in the first quarter of 2021. That facility is where all Class 8 models for North America and refuse are assembled.
DSNY’s Mack LR Electric demonstrator model is equipped with two 167-kilowatt motors, offering a combined 536 peak horsepower. The vehicle features a two-speed Mack Powershift transmission and Mack proprietary S522R 52,000-pound rear axles. The Mack LR Electric model is powered by four lithium-nickel-manganese-cobalt-oxide batteries that are charged via a 150-kilowatt, SAE J1772-compliant charging system. All accessories on the Mack LR Electric model, including the hydraulic system for the Heil Durapack 5000 refuse body, are electrically driven through 12-, 24- and 600-volt circuits.