Mack Trucks deploys electric refuse truck in NYC

Mack Trucks, a Volvo Group subsidiary, announced it has delivered an LR Electric refuse vehicle to Royal Waste Services, Inc., a Waste Connections subsidiary operating in New York City that provides sustainable waste reduction strategies and recycling programs. The truck is the first of nine electric vehicles (EVs) the Volvo Group will deliver as part of the Bronx is Breathing: Reimaging a Cleaner Hunts Point project.

The Mack LR electric refuse vehicle is the first of nine electric vehicles from Volvo Group that will be delivered as part of the Bronx is Breathing project. (Photo: Mack Trucks)

Hunts Point, which includes a residential community of nearly 13,000, also hosts what is reported to be the largest wholesale food hub in the United States, along with nine waste transfer facilities, multiple recycling yards and a wastewater treatment plant. The Bronx Is Breathing initiative, funded by a $10 million award from the New York Clean Transportation Prizes program, is designed to tackle environmental inequity from heavy truck traffic serving the wholesale food hub and waste transfer facilities, along with economic insecurity affecting local residents.

Electrifying local truck fleets is seen as offering the most direct approach to comprehensively addressing freight transportation emissions in the area while creating opportunities for community economic participation, the announcement noted.

“This delivery represents more than just a new vehicle,” said Jonathan Randall, president of Mack Trucks North America. “It’s a tangible step toward advancing sustainable transportation and demonstrates how the transportation industry can support community environmental goals. The Mack LR Electric offers zero-emission operation while providing Royal Waste Services with a reliable solution for its operations.”

The next-generation LR Electric delivered to Royal Waste Services features a standard 376-kWh total battery capacity and twin electric motors producing 448 continuous hp and 4,051 lb.-ft. of peak torque output from zero rpm, suited for the stop-and-start nature of urban refuse collection. Ffour NMC lithium-ion batteries are charged through a 150-kW, SAE J1772-compliant charging system. Energy from the two-stage regenerative braking system is recaptured from the hundreds of stops the vehicle makes each day, maximizing efficiency as its load increases throughout collection routes.

Representatives from Volvo Group and state and local officials at the unveiling of a freight-focused electric charging hub and the delivery of a Mack LR electric refuse vehicle. (Photo: Volvo Group)

“Integrating this zero-emission Mack LR Electric into our fleet demonstrates that electric refuse collection can be both operationally effective and environmentally responsible,” said Michael Angelo Reali, district manager for Royal Waste Services. “This partnership with Mack Trucks and the broader Bronx Is Breathing initiative allows us to serve the Hunts Point community while reducing our environmental footprint and supporting the transition to cleaner transportation solutions.”

The handoff of the LR Electric occurred in conjunction with the announcement that MN8 Energy, an independent solar energy producer, had been selected as the development partner for the city’s first community-driven, freight-focused EV charging depot in the Hunts Point Food Distribution Center. The hub, developed through public-private partnerships, will feature 32 DC fast chargers and eight Class 8 trailer-enabled stalls plus 10 Level 2 chargers to support light-, medium- and heavy-duty EVs. Construction of the charging depot, as well as a 12,500-sq.-ft. multipurpose welcome center and workforce development hub, will begin in 2026.

It was also noted that the Fulton Fish Market Co-Op, said to be the largest fish market in the U.S., will receive four medium-duty Mack MD model EVs, and City Harvest, a food rescue organization, will receive four Class 7 Volvo VNR Electric trucks, featuring battery-electric transport refrigeration units (eTRUs), later this year. The trucks will utilize the EV freight hub for charging.

“The Volvo Group recognizes one of the main challenges for scaling zero-emission vehicle operations is access to adequate, reliable and affordable power,” said Keith Brandis, vice president of policy and regulatory affairs, Volvo Group North America. “Through the Bronx is Breathing project, we will support the creation of a scalable model for public charging hubs in communities across the U.S.”

MN8 announces ‘first-of-its kind’ freight EV charging hub The facility will feature 42 electric vehicle (EV) charging plugs designed specifically for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.