Mack launches VaaS scheme for e-trucks
US commercial vehicle manufacturer Mack Trucks has launched a new Vehicle-as-a-Service (VaaS) program. Essentially an all-inclusive leasing scheme, the company hopes to help customers manage expenses associated with acquiring the Mack LR Electric truck and integrate it into existing warranties.
The VaaS now introduced includes the vehicle chassis, the refuse body, applicable taxes and a vehicle protection plan for the Mack LR Electric refuse model, Mack’s first fully electric Class 8 vehicle. The company which belongs to Volvo Group, added, qualified customers could also bundle a charger and associated installation costs into a single invoice but did not specify what qualifies a customer.
The aforementioned protection plan, however, relies on the recently introduced ‘Mack Ultra Service Agreement’. It includes all preventive and corrective maintenance, excluding accidental repairs. There are further uptime services, roadside assistance, battery monitoring and a battery performance guarantee.
Said battery services use the company’s ‘GuardDog Connect’ system, which monitors battery health and performance and checks for fault codes and defects reported by the battery and electric components of the energy storage system.
If a fault is detected, the system automatically contacts Mack agents in Greensboro, North Carolina. The agents then support customers by coordinating repairs and service with the Mack dealer network during planned and unplanned service events.
There are also new integrated insurance services offered through Mack Financial Services on a digital platform. The new service enables enhanced capabilities, allowing customers to access different coverages, make claims and handle their other insurance-related needs online, so Mack Trucks.
The new VaaS program is offered as a five-year lease with single monthly payments and the option to renew. Prices were not disclosed.
“The Mack Vehicle-as-a-Service program is designed to address any customer hesitations in adopting electromobility by offering zero upfront costs,” said George Fotopoulos, Mack vice president of the e-mobility business unit.
Mack so far offers one electric truck model. The Mack LR Electric, with a gross vehicle weight of 66,000 pounds (30 tonnes) and a payload of 11.5 tonnes, is powered by two electric motors that together deliver 334 kW of continuous and 400 kW of peak power. Four battery packs with NMC cells can be charged at 150 kW. There are no details on battery capacity or range, but Mack points to a regenerative braking system that “helps recapture energy from the hundreds of stops the vehicle makes each day”.
The LR Electric model may be fitted with equipment bodies from several manufacturers and otherwise builds on the company’s existing diesel model.
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