Mack Announces New Natural Gas Models

Customer testing for the new natural gas-power version of the Mack Pinnacle will begin this year.

GREENSBORO, NC — Mack Trucks is expanding its natural gas-powered offerings with natural-gas versions of the Mack Pinnacle and Mack Granite models in 2013. Customer testing for the new models is scheduled to begin this year.

“Mack has a long history in alternative driveline technologies, and in particular, natural gas,” said Kevin Flaherty, president of Mack Trucks North American sales and marketing. “We’ve offered natural gas since it became clear that it was a viable energy solution in the refuse segment,” he continued.

Mack also said it continues to work on the development of other alternative driveline technologies like the diesel-electric hybrid TerraPro models and other hybrids.

In addition, Mack is investigating technologies like high pressure direct injection, which uses a combination of natural gas and a small amount of diesel in the combustion process, and DME (dimethyl ether).

The news of the natural gas-powered Mack models comes shortly after Volvo announced their plans to launch a 13-litre liquefied natural gas engine for North America in 2014.

Both Mack and Volvo said they are looking at the use of DME, which can be produced from natural gas.

Mack already offers natural gas-powered Mack TerraPro Low Entry and Mack TerraPro Cabover refuse models.

Both the Pinnacle and Granite models will use the Cummins Westport ISX12 G engine, a 12 litre heavy-duty, natural gas engine, capable of both manual and automatic transmission.

Like their Mack TerraPro natural gas counterparts, the Mack natural gas-powered Pinnacle and Granite models will come with maintenance-free aftertreatment and a three-way catalyst to meet EPA 2010 and CARB emissions standards, the company said.

Mack’s natural gas-powered trucks are available with compressed (CNG) or liquefied (LNG) fuel systems.

The Mack diesel-electric hybrid technology provides up to a 30 percent fuel economy improvement in stop-and-go applications such as refuse, with a corresponding greenhouse gas emissions benefit, the company says.


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