Mack launches Vehicle-as-a-Service for BEVs

Mack Trucks and Mack Financial Services (MFS) recently launched an all-inclusive Vehicle-as-a-Service (VaaS) program to help simplify the purchase process and help customers better manage expenses associated with acquiring the Mack LR Electric battery electric vehicle (BEV).

Mack Trucks and Mack Financial Services (MFS) recently launched an all-inclusive Vehicle-as-a-Service (VaaS) program to help simplify the purchase process and help customers better manage expenses associated with acquiring the Mack LR Electric battery electric vehicle. (Photo: Mack Trucks)

VaaS includes the vehicle chassis, the refuse body, applicable taxes and a comprehensive vehicle protection plan - the Mack Ultra Service Agreement - for the Mack LR Electric refuse model, Mack’s first fully electric Class 8 vehicle.

Qualified customers also have the option to bundle a charger and associated installation costs into a single invoice, an all-inclusive offer unique in the industry. VaaS is offered as a five-year lease with single monthly payments and the option to renew.

“The Mack Vehicle-as-a-Service program is designed to address any customer hesitations in adopting electromobility by offering zero upfront costs,” said George Fotopoulos, Mack vice president of the e-mobility business unit. “Mack took this approach because we believe in BEV technology, we stand behind our electric products, and we want to accelerate industry adoption of this technology.”

The Mack LR Electric incorporates twin electric motors and offers 448 continuous hp and 4051 lb.-ft. of peak output torque from zero rpm, the company said. The vehicle is offered with a two-speed Mack Powershift transmission, Mack mRIDE suspension and Mack’s proprietary S462R 46,000 lb. rear axles.

Four NMC (nickel manganese cobalt oxide) lithium-ion batteries, charged through a 150 kW, SAE J1772-compliant charging system, provide vehicle propulsion and power for all onboard accessories, driven through 12, 24 and 600 V circuits. A two-stage regenerative braking system accounts for the refuse truck’s increasing load throughout the day and helps recapture energy from the hundreds of stops the vehicle makes each day, Mack said.

The LR Electric model may be fitted with equipment bodies from a number of manufacturers, allowing the truck to be tailored to customer needs.

Identified by a copper Bulldog ornament on the cab to signify the electric drivetrain, production of the LR Electric began in December 2021 at Lehigh Valley Operations in Macungie, Pa., where all Mack Class 8 models for North America and export are assembled.