31 E-Mobility Engineering | September/October 2025 Fotopoulos acknowledges this is often the case with early adopters. The fact that most customers are from the public sector, with evertightening purse strings and priority targets that do not yet focus fully on sustainability, adds to that challenge. However, Fotopoulos is confident that Mack can drive greater appeal by offering an industry-changing e-mobility full-service solution. “We are developing an ecosystem that covers the full A to Z,” he says, explaining that Mack’s electric offering goes far beyond the chassis itself and the third-party body integration, to include specialist servicing, charging solutions, telematics, grant services, financing and consulting, all in an effort to make it more appealing for take-up. “That’s all very much part of the offer in the equation for electrification,” he continues. “We’re definitely not in this solo. Progressing this electric technology requires partnerships, and we are working as an industry as a whole, along with the supply network and the fossil-free energy utility companies, to accelerate adoption. It’s quite a collaboration! “Return on investment and total cost of ownership is a big part of the purchase decision, so we have tried to bring down the initial capital cost on these electric versions. We looked at battery leasing, but it wasn’t mature enough for the industry to think like that quite yet, but we’re being very creative on our financing by starting a leasing approach. “We’ve never leased a refuse truck before – that was unheard of in the industry – but we now finance and lease that and the other assets that go along with the EV equation, too. The body is another expensive part of the picture, so we lease other OEMs’ components; the charging infrastructure that’s required. We’ll even do the copper in the ground. “We also have a dealer partner network out there of 400+, and we have equipped them to work on these vehicles for maintenance and servicing. We have an EV certification process that covers safety, tools, equipment training and protocols and concludes with a rigorous certification process to work on our electric vehicles.” The LRe is an early step in the electrification of heavy-duty vehicles, and Fotopoulos believes further improvement will come, particularly in the form of battery development. That could be new chemistry, or new form factors, and he concludes: “I believe in engineering, and the future is endless when it comes to potential advancements. “We will progress in the EV technology transition in stages, over time. We already have a medium-duty truck that is fully electric, the MD Electric, and we recently announced plans to get into the regional highway tractor space soon. So, we’re progressing through the use cases of electrification in the industry. “People who bought the LR Electric often say this is the best-performing and most reliable truck in their fleet. I love hearing that; it’s awesome! And we will continue to advance our electric mobility applications and products across the range, but only where and when it makes operational and economic sense to do so. “We’re doing what we can, and although the adoption curve in North America is a slow burn, we believe the LR Electric represents a growing segment in the industry and that as fleets start to recognise the significant operational benefits of electric refuse vehicles, the take-up rate will grow. Changing the world is not easy, but we’re ready!” Specifications Performance Range: Up to 100 on-the-job miles (including regen) Payload: Up to 25,500 lbs Peak torque: 4051 lb-ft Peak power: 400 kW (536 bhp) Continuous power: 334 kW (448 bhp) Charging: 120 minutes at 150 kW Consumption: As low as 0.3 kWh/ ton-mile Technical Vehicle type: Class 8 Motor: Twin AC permanent magnet synchronous motors Battery: 4 x NMC lithium-ion batteries (lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide) Transmission: 2-speed Mack powershift Axles: Mack FXL20 20,000 lb front axle; Mack S462R 46,000 lb rear axles Suspension: Mack mRIDETM 46,000 lb suspension Charging: Up to 150 kW with a max current of 200 A, 550–750 V (SAE J1772 compliant) Power circuits: 12 V, 24 V and 600 V, 260 A Braking: Three-mode regenerative The future of recycling and refuse collection is electric
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