Building a better world

Mack’s product lineup reflects company’s commitment to sustainability

When it comes to sustainability, Mack has a plan. “It is important to talk about sustainability,” says Tyler Ohlmansiek, Mack’s director of e-mobility sales, “We have a three-prong strategic plan to provide more sustainable vehicles through a combination of emerging technology powertrains.”

Prioritizing sustainability has long been a core value for Mack, which sees the initiative as aligning with goals that focus on reducing its environmental footprint through a range of programs.

Volvo Group and Mack have outlined sustainability targets to shape Mack’s future:

• Reduce CO₂ emissions per vehicle kilometer by 40%
• Support Volvo Group’s goal of becoming 100% fossil-free

On the road to achieving those goals, Mack is also making changes to its current product line to make it more fuel efficient.

Current product offerings

Blake Routh, senior product manager – highway trucks at Mack, says, “The main mission is to try to make our powertrain as clean as possible. For example, the Pioneer™ has been widely advertised as being 11% more fuel efficient, helping us reduce both fuel consumption and emissions."

The fuel efficiency improvement for both the Pioneer and the all-new Anthem® starts with the completely new body-in-white, which is the metal structure of the cab. “The great thing with these vehicles is that we started from scratch with the design,” he says. Both trucks have a sloped, wedge-shaped design making the base vehicle extremely aerodynamic, according to Routh.

But the aerodynamic improvement doesn’t stop there. There are also side extenders on both sides of the cab to mitigate aerodynamic drag from the gap between the truck and the trailer by diverting airflow away from the truck. Air intrusion under the truck is also mitigated with new ground effects. A digital mirror system provides a 1% fuel economy gain over more traditional side mirror configurations.

The Pioneer is powered by a Mack MP®13 engine which provides more power with less fuel consumption, providing 3% greater efficiency. Mack also redesigned the engine’s wave piston to create more efficiency. Previously, there was a six-wave piston, but the Pioneer has a seven-wave piston which “optimizes the mixture of the fuel and the air and ultimately helps improve fuel savings,” Routh explains.

The Pioneer also has a factory-installed battery-powered auxiliary power unit, “Mack’s Integrated Parking Cooler”, which provides air conditioning without idling the engine. “Drivers are in their trucks quite a lot overnight, and therefore it is important to be able to have power for convenience items and to keep the truck cool while not idling,” Routh says. “Having our factory-installed battery-powered auxiliary power unit cuts down on emissions from an idling engine.”

An advanced version of Mack’s Predictive Cruise Control on the Pioneer uses map data to ascertain upcoming terrain and change the engine and gearing to maximize fuel efficiency. Eco Roll allows the transmission to coast downhill for reduced rolling resistance and lower fuel consumption.

Mack focused on the details when designing the Pioneer to improve aerodynamics, even changing the way the iconic Bulldog hood ornament is mounted to cut aerodynamic drag from the vehicle. When it comes to aerodynamics, even minor tweaks can make a difference.

The newly redesigned Anthem has many of the same improvements as the Pioneer, Routh says. “From a sustainability perspective, the Anthem is not that different than the Pioneer, but it gives us a comprehensive line up of more fuel efficient trucks.”

He adds, “We need to remember that combustion engines can be part of a fleet’s decarbonization solution. Last generation highly efficient engines and super aerodynamic trucks are still the fastest, cheapest and easiest way to create sustainability improvements.”

EV added to the mix

Improving the performance of its diesel-powered fleet is not the only thing Mack is doing to improve the sustainability of its product offering. It already has two battery electric trucks on the market. One is a medium-duty electric truck, which is focused on the pickup and delivery market but has found wider spread acceptance in other applications such as stake bodies, flat beds, contractor dumps, and the like. The other is an electric version of the LR, which is designed for the rugged duty cycle for the waste and recycling industry.

However, Ohlmansiek says Mack plans to roll out an electric version of the Pioneer in 2026. “It will have electric axles and Proterra battery packs,” he says. He adds that Mack plans to have zero-emission powertrain offerings across the overall family brand of its trucks.

Trying to break down the barriers to entry with battery electric vehicles, Mack offers a variety of programs and ways to purchase the vehicles. According to Ohlmansiek, “innovative trucks require innovative ways of charging, operating and purchasing.” Mack is wrapping an ecosystem around its electric truck offerings. “We look at the charging. We look at the grants. We look at the truck specifications and the routes,” he says. “We look at everything that it takes to make fleets successful with our electric vehicles.”

Ohlmansiek says there has been a big push by Mack to focus on what each market segment needs and then develop targeted solutions accordingly.

Routh adds, "We're moving away from our traditional one-size-fits-all approach to highway trucking. Now we're building a complete lineup where each truck is purpose-built for specific highway applications, all while advancing our sustainability goals."