GREENSBORO, N.C. — Mack Trucks announced Wednesday it plans to commercialize the Mack LR Electric refuse truck next year.

Orders will open in the fourth quarter of this year, with deliveries beginning in 2021, the company said.

The LR Electric was Introduced as a prototype in 2018.

It features a fully integrated electric powertrain with twin electric motors and four NMC lithium-ion batteries providing vehicle propulsion as well as power for all onboard accessories.

A three-mode regenerative braking system takes into account the truck’s increasing load and helps recapture energy from the hundreds of stops refuse trucks make per day, Mack said.

“Mack’s leadership in the refuse segment goes back more than a century, and we’re pleased to build on that heritage today by announcing the commercialization of the LR Electric model,” said president Martin Weissburg.

“This clean, quiet and powerful truck demonstrates the very best of Mack innovation and our people, and I couldn’t be prouder to announce our plans to build it.”

Like other LR models, the LR Electric may be fitted with equipment bodies from a number of manufacturers, allowing the customer to tailor the truck to their specific application, the company said.

Customers will be able to choose from the same driver/passenger side driving configurations, seating choices and door options offered on the diesel-powered LR.

In addition, minimal changes to the gauges and select switchgear were made, allowing Mack to carry over the ergonomic driver-designed LR cab, the company said.

Mack’s famous bulldog in copper will be mounted on the front of each truck, it said.

The Mack LR Electric will be manufactured at Mack’s Lehigh Valley Operations in Macungie, Penn., where all heavy-duty Mack trucks built for North America are assembled.