Cary Becomes the First City in North Carolina to Purchase Electric Mack Truck

In the fall of 2023, the Town of Cary, North Carolina, will be utilizing a heavy-duty fully-electric Mack truck for trash pickup – the first city in North Carolina to do so.

Volvo Group announces in a press release that Cary has ordered a Mack LR Electric Class 8 refuse vehicle as part of the town’s growing commitment to sustainability. The vehicle is equipped with an automatic side loader and will be used in residential areas for bin pickup.

By 2040, the Town of Cary aims to reduce emissions by 100%. Last year, Cary added two Teslas to their police fleet to help with that goal. The Town of Cary explains that while the electric vehicles cost more upfront, the fuel savings for the police cars will pay for the cost difference within two years.

Typically, a vehicle of this magnitude would run on diesel fuel. With the price of diesel currently costing above $5 a gallon on average and similar trucks holding 150-300 gallons per tank, the switch to electric could result in long-term savings.

The specific truck that Cary purchased costs $904,000 but was offset by a federal grant that aims to help municipalities reduce emissions, leaving the town only responsible for $498,000. While this is still more expensive than a typical diesel truck of the same style (around $300,000), Cary expects to save $23,000 in fuel costs per year, so they would end up saving money in the long run, provided that expensive repairs are not needed.

In addition to the fuel savings, another benefit is that residents can expect a much quieter neighborhood when the electric truck comes to pick up their bins.

While Cary will continue to operate traditional diesel trucks as part of its fleet, it is possible that more will be replaced in the future, depending on the success of this new truck.

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James Tuliano

Founder of The Cary Report. When I am not keeping up with local news, you can find me riding my bike around the Greenway trails or lying by the pool.

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