![ACT Expo 2025 – new electric Mack trucks are coming, one is already here [part 3]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/05/mack_1-2_rear-loader2.png?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
ACT Expo 2025 – new electric Mack trucks are coming, one is already here [part 3]
Mack showed up to the 2025 ACT Expo with a brand-new Mack Pioneer Class 8 semi and promises of a 300 mile electric version arriving next year, but when I asked them about the Mack LR Electric rear-loader shown above, they got real quiet. More, after the break.
The Mack LR Electric is a known quantity in the refuse truck space already, with a number of the trucks providing quiet, dependable service throughout the country as I type this — with many municipalities being so happy with their initial orders that they’ve committed to taking their fleets fully electric. Despite that success, however, one thing has been missing from the Mack LR Electric refuse truck offering that’s been requested by a number of municipal service fleets: a rear loader model.
Imagine my surprise when, two days after my good friend Jonathan Segal sent me a photo of a bright red Mack LR Electric rear loader, complete with “100% ELECTRIC” decals, patrolling the streets of Boston, Mack executives did not announce a new electric rear loader. I was even more surprised when I showed them the photo in question (at top), and they responded with a pause, then a careful, “we can’t comment on future product.”
And while, yes, most of these configurations are determined by upfitters like Heil and I’m sure anyone with a Mack LR Electric chassis and an Adidas gym bag’s weight in cash could get it done, that would have been an easy enough thing to tell me, too.
A factory Mack LR Electric rear loader is, apparently, in the works. Stay tuned for updates.
Lots more Mack news at ACT
The sprawling Mack display at ACT was dominated by the all-new 2026 Mack Pioneer Class 8. Making its public debut in a jet-black sleeper configuration, the Pioneer was one the stars of the show, though the Mack LR Electric side-loader and Terex-developed MD Electric Utility bucket truck were also hugely popular.
The big Pioneer felt a bit out of place at ACT Expo, considering it’s a diesel-engined truck at a clean trucking expo. Mack’s people reassured the assembled press that its latest diesel semi was, at least, a much cleaner diesel than those of years past. Improved fuel economy means fewer carbon emissions, they said, as well as lower operating costs, while new emission control technology and engine tuning means fewer nitrous-oxide emissions, too.
Oh, did I mention the new Pioneer could run on 100% HVO diesel? As a low-er carbon fuel it’s a step in the right direction, I guess — but there are far bigger environmental wins to be had with battery power … and Mack fans won’t have to long for that, either.
Mack announces Pioneer Electric
It’s just a slide in a deck so far, but the new Proterra-powered Mack Pioneer Electric promises more than 300 miles of fully loaded, 82,000 lb. combined vehicle weight range on the EPA cycle and the requisite DC fast charging that, in a current (read: previous-gen) Volvo VNR Electric, a 250 kW charger can get the big electric semi back to 80% charge and on the road in under 90 minutes. With megawatt charging and a more efficient battery, the next-gen Volvo VNL Electric (on which the Pioneer Electric will be based) will do the same trick in under 30.
For their part, Mack executives are confident their new Pioneer — regardless of powerplant — is going to be a winner. “The Mack Pioneer represents a transformative leap forward in commercial vehicle development, setting a new benchmark for what drivers and fleets should expect from their equipment,” said Jonathan Randall, president of Mack Trucks North America. “This isn’t just another truck – it’s a complete reimagining of the conventional model, redefining efficiency, uptime, safety and comfort through breakthrough innovations that prioritize both driver experience and operational excellence.”
The Mack Pioneer Electric is expected to bow in 2026, with deliveries of the American-made trucks presumably beginning sometime in early 2027.
Original content by Electrek.
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Tesla has opened orders for the Model Y Long Range RWD for $45,000 in the US. It’s the new entry-level Model Y following the design refresh earlier this year.
Since launching the updated Model Y earlier this year, Tesla has only offered the best-selling electric SUV in a single Long-Range AWD configuration.
First, it was as a fully-loaded $60,000 Launch Edition, and last month, it started deliveries of the regular Model Y AWD starting at $49,000.
As we recently noted, Tesla didn’t have much of an order backlog for the new Model Y in the US, and it has already started gathering new Model Y AWD in inventory just weeks after launching the vehicle.
Tesla even started offering subsidized financing rates on the new SUV this weekend.
Now, the automaker is starting to take orders for the new Model Y Long Range RWD
The new trim starts at $44,990 and enables 357 miles of range – an extra 30 miles over the AWD version.
However, due to its single motor powertrain, the lower-priced version is slightly slower with a 0-60 mph acceleration in 5.4 seconds rather than 4.6 seconds.
The automaker says that deliveries of the new version will start in the US in the next 3 to 5 weeks. It launched the new Model Y RWD in Europe weeks ago.
Tesla also offers a Standard Range RWD in Europe and China for even cheaper, and deliveries have already started in China.
Electrek’s Take
Tesla appears to have waited to open orders for the Model Y RWD in the US to optimize demand for the Long Range AWD.
But now it needs a cheaper model to sustain demand at the current production rate.
In the coming weeks, it will start building a mix of RWD and AWD in Fremont and Austin to
Interestingly, Tesla currently only offers the subsidized 1.99% financing rate on the Model Y Long Range AWD. I would assume that Tesla plans to take advantage of the boost in demand that the cheaper model will create.
However, US buyers probably won’t have to wait more than a few weeks before Tesla starts to offer lower interest rates on all versions, like it already does in Europe and China.
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![Big Mack, hydrogen Honda, and a ride in the Tesla Semi at ACT Expo 2025 [part 6]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/05/act-2025.jpg?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
On today’s thrilling episode of Quick Charge, we’ve got some of the highlights of the 2025 ACT Expo, including the all-electric Windrose and Mack Pioneer Class 8s trucks, a hydrogen fuel sell [sic] from Honda, a fun charging surprise, and – after an eight year wait – we finally get a ride in the all-new (in 2017) Tesla Semi!
ACT Expo is North America’s premier clean truck and transport trade show – and for 2025 it was bigger than ever, with more exhibitors and more, more capable battery electric vehicles than ever. The downsides? NACFE have scored with their “messy middle” messaging, and the return of “clean diesel” talking points. We’ve got a brief rundown and links to all the details, below.
Source Links
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Abundance Energy, sonnen, and Energywell are teaming up to bring smarter, more resilient energy to Texas homes through a huge new virtual power plant (VPP) initiative.
By combining behind-the-meter home batteries, solar power, and advanced energy software, the trio is building a network of connected homes that can work together to support the grid. Customers who install sonnenConnect home batteries through Abundance Energy will now be part of a system that automatically stores and shares power when it’s needed most. That means lower electricity bills, better reliability during extreme weather, and a cleaner energy mix overall.
The VPP will cover all of ERCOT, with the primary focus in the greater Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston areas. Each home will have two 4.8kW/20kWh sonnenCore+20 battery units. The current customer base that will be enrolled in the VPP equals 60 MWh, and this will continue to grow each month. The VPP is already on track to replace Tesla as the largest virtual power plant in Texas by the end of 2026.
Here’s how it works: The batteries are continuously managed using Energywell’s Proton platform and sonnen’s smart VPP technology. This system monitors solar generation, customer energy use, and real-time electricity prices, and then decides when to charge or discharge each battery. Instead of just sitting idle, these batteries turn into mini power plants that can react to grid needs in real time.
And when thousands of batteries work together, they form a virtual power plant—a decentralized network that reduces the strain on the grid, especially during peak demand or power outages. Unlike traditional power plants, VPPs don’t burn fossil fuels. They use clean, stored electricity from homes and businesses, helping cut carbon emissions while keeping the lights on.
“Our mission is to empower homeowners with smarter, more sustainable energy solutions,” said Thomas Mandry, CEO of Abundance Energy. “This partnership delivers a new kind of VPP model that benefits customers and strengthens the Texas grid.”
Blake Richetta, CEO of sonnen, added, “With Abundance Energy and Energywell, we’re showing how everyday homeowners can become part of the solution to Texas’ energy challenges.”
As Texas continues to face grid reliability issues, especially in extreme heat or cold, this kind of flexible, customer-powered energy system will make homes more resilient and give customers more control over their power.
Read more: The US’s largest virtual power plant now runs on 75,000 home batteries
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