Republic Services has deployed its first electric garbage trucks in Chicago, adding two Mack LR Electric vehicles to its fleet as part of a push to reduce emissions in urban waste collection.
The trucks were unveiled on Wednesday in partnership with ComEd, the regional utility, which provided partial funding through its commercial electric vehicle rebate program. The move marks the introduction of the city’s first electric refuse fleet.
The Mack LR Electric is designed for waste collection, offering zero tailpipe emissions and quieter operation compared with diesel-powered trucks. The vehicles are equipped with two electric motors that produce a combined 400 kilowatts, equal to about 536 horsepower, and 4,051 pound-feet of peak torque. They draw power from 376-kilowatt-hour batteries supplied by Samsung, which can be charged in less than two hours using a 150-kilowatt fast charger.
To support the fleet, Republic Services has installed new BP pulse charging stations at its vehicle yard in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood. The infrastructure project also benefited from ComEd’s rebate program, which helped fund make-ready upgrades from the power grid to the charging facilities.
Republic Services has previously introduced Mack LR Electric trucks in Madison, Wisconsin, where two units joined the fleet in 2023. The company is among several waste management providers testing heavy-duty electric vehicles as the industry looks for ways to lower operating emissions while maintaining collection performance.