Coastal Waste & Recycling is using an electric excavator and an electric Class 8 truck in South Florida. The waste management company, based in Boca Raton, will use the machines as a test case for how electric-powered equipment can help with its sustainability goals.
The machines in the test are a Volvo EC230 Electric excavator and a Mack LR Electric Class 8 refuse vehicle. The truck will operate in residential and certain specialized commercial applications in southern Florida. Mack and Coastal worked together to develop favorable routing for the LR Electric to ensure that the refuse truck will complete a full day’s work based on the application needs. The LR Electric is equipped with an automated side loader.
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The electric excavator is being tested in a materials recovery facility (MRF) north of Miami, where Coastal receives and sorts recyclable materials. The EC230 Electric is performing the same work as its equivalent diesel model, the EC220EL, feeding material into a sorting line.
“We are excited to add both pieces of equipment to our fleet,” said Brendon Pantano, CEO, in a statement. “As the first private hauler in Florida to invest in electric, we look forward to harnessing the strength of this strategic move to further elevate innovation in our operations.”
“Coastal Waste & Recycling has been a great partner and has always been interested in any new technology they can incorporate to drive efficiency and excellence throughout their operations,” said Martin Mattsson, director of key account sales—waste and recycling, Volvo Construction Equipment (CE). “Testing this electric excavator directly against its conventional equivalent will teach us a lot.”
The 23-ton Volvo EC230 Electric is a medium-sized excavator designed to offer the same performance as its diesel counterpart; the Mack LR Electric is a heavy-duty truck with all the strength of comparable diesel-powered Mack LR refuse models, according to Volvo Group, parent of both Volvo CE and Mack.
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The machines will be fast-charged with the same mobile Heliox 50 kW charger. Volvo CE and Mack experts consulted with Coastal Waste on charging to help identify the ideal solution.
“The shift to off-road electrification, especially in heavy construction machines, can’t be accomplished by one single team or company,” said Scott Young, head of region North America, Volvo CE. “We’re grateful for the chance to partner with customers and other Volvo Group companies to advance sustainability in a variety of industries.”
Said Jonathan Randall, president of Mack Trucks North America, in a statement:
“Mack is proud to be partnering with Coastal Waste & Recycling in their journey toward electrification. Coastal’s commitment to sustainability is evident through their efforts to bring battery-electric vehicles to serve their customers in southern Florida, and we appreciate their enthusiasm for reducing GHG emissions and environmental care.”
Coastal Waste & Recycling is a privately owned solid waste and recycling company with 25 locations in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. It operates more than 700 vehicles.
