2010
Mack Hybrid Technology Demonstrates Application Excellence MACK® TerraPro™ Hybrid for New York City Displayed at WasteExpo 2009
LAS VEGAS (June 10, 2009) – Mack Trucks, Inc. displayed its latest and most advanced heavy-duty diesel electric hybrid technology at WasteExpo 2009, in the form of a MACK® TerraPro™ Low Entry refuse truck presented to New York City earlier this year. The NYC Department of Sanitation will evaluate the truck in its daily operations.
The Mack TerraPro model is the first production-intent parallel diesel-electric hybrid truck in the U.S. designed specifically for Class 8 heavy-duty applications and meeting the EPA’10 emission regulations.
“It’s not surprising our customers have shown such interest in hybrids,” said David McKenna, Mack director of powertrain sales & marketing. “Mack’s hybrid technology has demonstrated as much as a 30% fuel economy improvement in stop-and-go service, such as refuse collection. It also delivers a reduced cost of operation.”
Fully-integrated hybrid technology will have additional future benefits, McKenna noted, such as: allowing the use of a smaller diesel engine than otherwise would be required; electrification of power steering, air compressor and air conditioner; idle avoidance when the vehicle is stopped; and electric power takeoff.
“Mack is the leader in application excellence and our choice of parallel diesel-electric technology was driven by this commitment to providing our customers with the right product for the application,” McKenna said. “We studied competing hybrid technologies and chose the right fit for the true heavy-duty trucks customers use every day. Our components and systems are designed, sized and built to Mack performance standards.”
How the Mack Hybrid System Works
The Mack diesel-electric hybrid powertrain features an integrated starter, alternator and electric motor. The system captures energy from braking in the form of electricity (through a technique call regenerative braking), stores the electricity in a 600-volt lithium ion battery pack, and uses it to power the electric motor, which assists the MACK® MP7 diesel engine with propulsion of the truck.
The Mack system is what is known as a “parallel” hybrid in which the diesel engine and electric motor can operate either in unison or as separate units. There are three possible modes: pure diesel power (such as at highway speeds); pure electric power (useful for quiet operations in residential neighborhoods); and combined diesel-electric mode (when maximum power is desired, such as accelerating from a stop with a full load). The combined diesel-electric mode improves performance and requires less fuel than diesel-only.
When the vehicle decelerates, electric energy is returned to the battery pack using the same hybrid system.
Other types of hybrid systems use pressurized hydraulic fluid or mechanical means to store energy generated by braking. Mack considered these technologies and chose to use diesel-electric hybrid for its trucks. The conversion of kinetic (moving) energy to electrical energy is what gives the Mack hybrid its impressive fuel economy improvements, as well as reducing brake wear and engine emissions.
Major Components of MACK TerraPro Low Entry refuse model for New York City
• Engine: 325 hp MACK MP7 engine, with Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) exhaust aftertreatment
technology, to meet U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s near-zero emissions standards for 2010;
also has a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF)
• Transmission: Mack 12-speed automated manual
• Front Axle: Mack Unimax™ FXL20, 20,000-pound capacity
• Front Suspension: Mack Multileaf, 20,000-pound capacity
• Tandem Rear Axle: Mack S522, 52,000-pound capacity
• Tandem Rear Suspension: Ridewell Dynalastic RD202S, 52,000-pound capacity
• 120 kW electric motor/generator
• 600 volt lithium ion battery pack.
CAPTION: Mack Trucks, Inc. displayed this MACK® TerraPro™ Low Entry refuse truck with a diesel-electric hybrid drivetrain at WasteExpo 2009. This truck was presented to the City of New York earlier this year. It is the first production intent diesel electric hybrid truck in the U.S. designed specifically for Class 8 heavy-duty applications and meeting the EPA’10 emission regulations.
Dedicated to quality, reliability, and total customer satisfaction, Mack Trucks, Inc. has provided its customers with innovative transportation solutions for more than a century. Today, Mack is one of North America’s largest producers of heavy-duty trucks. All Mack manufacturing locations are certified to the internationally recognized ISO 9001 standard for quality and ISO 14001 standard for environmental management systems. Mack is also a proud sponsor of Share the Road, an American Trucking Associations' public information campaign aimed at enhancing the safety of our nation’s roadways.
Mack Trucks, Inc. is part of the Volvo Group, one of the world's leading manufacturers of trucks, buses and construction equipment, drive systems for marine and industrial applications, aerospace components and services, and one of the world's leading producers of heavy-diesel engines (9-16 liter). The Group also provides complete solutions for financing and service. The Volvo Group, which employs about 100,000 people, has production facilities in 19 countries and sells their products in more than 180 markets. Volvo Group sales for 2008 amounted to over $46 billion. The Volvo Group is a publicly-held company headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden. Volvo Shares are listed on Nasdaq OMX Nordic Exchange and are traded OTC in the U.S.
