During Climate Week NYC 2020, one of the biggest climate summits of the year, truck manufacturing company Mack Trucks announced the official delivery of an electric refuse model to New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY). The Mack LR Electric demonstration model is Mack Truck’s first fully electric refuse vehicle, equipped with an integrated electric powertrain. The vehicle was brought directly to DSNY’s Brooklyn North 1 garage and will start an in-service trial route to evaluate the vehicle’s range, regenerative braking, and overall operation as the first zero-emission utility vehicle in the fleet’s portfolio.
The Mack LR Electric refuse truck is Mack Truck’s first fully electric refuse model.
The Mack LR Electric demonstration vehicle features two 167-kW motors with a combined 536 peak horsepower and 4,051 lb.-ft. of torque. The vehicle can be charged with a 150kW, SAE J1772-compliant charging system. In Mack Truck’s recent press release, Rocco DiRico, deputy commissioner for support services at the DSNY, said: “Electric trucks will be a key component to helping New York City meet its ambitious goal of reducing GHG emissions by 80 percent by the year 2035”. The City of New York’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal is a guiding principle for many of the city’s projects, and a significant part of the goal can be met through reducing petroleum consumption in the transportation sector.
New York City Fleet Contributes to City’s Climate Goals
Currently, the transportation sector accounts for approximately 30 percent of citywide annual greenhouse gas emissions in New York. In order to meet a reduction goal in the transportation sector, electrification the city’s light-duty vehicles and heavy-duty fleet is crucial. New York City has the largest vehicle fleet in the nation with over 30,000 vehicles and manages vehicles across a number of agencies, such as DSNY, the Department of Parks and Recreation, Department of Education, Emergency Management, and many more. The City operates a robust electric and alternative fuels fleet that includes approximately 2,260 on-road battery electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and 5,500 hybrid vehicles. NYC Fleet also has over 600 off-road electric vehicles and 87 solar carports that allow electric vehicles to charge directly from renewable energy.
DSNY will start an in-service trial route to evaluate the vehicle’s range, regenerative braking, and overall operation.
In February 2020, New York City Mayor de Blasio signed Executive Order 53, committing to transition New York City to an all-electric fleet by 2040. Electric vehicle charging is a key step towards full electrification of the City’s fleet. NYC Fleet has installed 1,005 charging ports across 696 charging stations, including 21 fast-charging stations around the city. Many of these are publicly accessible. Charging infrastructure has also been made available for the Mack LR Electric demonstration vehicle.
In addition to electrification, NYC Fleet is committed to the City’s climate goals with the use of drop-in replacement fuels, such as biodiesel, to help operate over 11,000 diesel vehicles in the fleet. Biodiesel blends help reduce emissions, especially when used with diesel particulate filters and diesel emissions fluid.
DSNY Sustainability Goals
DSNY is the world’s largest municipal sanitation department and operates more than 6,000 vehicles to handle approximately 12,000 tons of refuse and recyclables daily from millions of New Yorkers. DSNY is committed to sustainability and has already dramatically reduced 50 percent of its greenhouse gas emissions since 2005. Like the greater NYC Fleet, DSNY uses biodiesel blends in their diesel vehicles and are committed to transitioning 88 percent of light-duty vehicles to hybrid or electric.
DSNY is the world’s largest municipal sanitation department, and is committed to sustainability goals to reduce emissions.
The Mack LR Electric demonstration vehicle is an example of DSNY’s efforts to fully electrify its fleet where possible and help the city achieve its emission reductions goal. The vehicle’s unique application that fully meets New York City vehicle specifications is a tremendous feat that fully aligns with Mayor de Blasio’s fleet electrification commitment.
New York City Clean Trucks Program Funding
Electrification of the medium- and heavy-duty sector is now more affordable through funding programs available in New York State. Made available through the Volkswagen Settlement funds, the New York City (NYC) Clean Trucks Program and New York Truck Voucher Incentive Program (NYTVIP) are both available for the replacement of old, polluting diesel vehicles. The NYC Clean Trucks Program, specifically, is a rebate incentive funding program available to fleets operating in the New York City metropolitan region to replace 2009 or older medium- and heavy-duty diesel trucks.
The NYC Clean Trucks Program is a rebate incentive funding program to replace older, heavy polluting diesel trucks.
The program has several zero-emission battery electric vehicle options available from Class 4 to Class 8 vehicle sizes. The NYC Clean Trucks Program focuses its truck replacement projects on businesses that move goods and commercial truck operators located in or providing service within a half-mile of program-approved Industrial Business Zones (IBZs). Applicants may also apply for funding to purchase Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) emission compliant alternative fuel trucks (compressed natural gas, diesel-electric hybrid, and plug-in hybrid electric), or new diesel trucks. For each new vehicle funded by the Program, one older, eligible diesel truck must be relinquished, scrapped, and effectively taken off the road. Eligible vehicles for replacement are Class 4 to Class 8 diesel-powered trucks with engine model years 1992 to 2009.
To learn more about the NYC Clean Trucks Program and apply for funding, visit nycctp.com.
