Mack Trucks showed the LR BEV battery-electric refuse truck at the WasteExpo 2019 in Las Vegas. The truck has a built-in electrical powertrain consisted of two 130 kW electric motors, which together produce 496 hp (continuous power 349 hp) and 5500 Nm of torque from zero rpms. It is also equipped with a two-speed Mack Powershift gearbox. Energy comes from four NMC lithium-ion batteries.
Based on the LR truck that is already popular with municipalities all over the country; only it has a fairly wild battery-electric drivetrain under it that makes a respectable 496 horsepower and a mind-boggling 4,051 pound-feet of torque. It does this with two 130-kilowatt AC motors, a two-speed transmission and some beefy Mack 56,000-pound axles.
The diesel engine on an ordinary trash truck doesn’t just make the wheels spin; it also has to run a ton of hydraulics and other systems. The LR BEV uses battery power to drive these systems, including hydraulics. The whole system is powered by four large lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide batteries that can be recharged at up to 150 kW and 200 amps.
Mack left out the specifics on the LR BEV’s expected range, but it’s fair to assume that most garbage trucks don’t pile the miles on in the same way that a semi truck would. Also, the hundreds of stops and starts that a truck might see during a shift gives plenty of opportunity for brake regen, which should help range too.
