NEW TECHNOLOGY
Electric Bucket Trucks
Zero Emissions Solution
Terex Utilities and Mack Trucks Roll Out a New Medium-Duty Electric Bucket Truck
By Seth Skydel
A partnership between Terex Utilities and Mack Trucks is bringing a new all-electric medium-duty bucket truck to the utility fleet market. The two companies rolled out the electric Mack MD7 chassis with Terex’ s Optima HR55 aerial device during NTEA Work Truck Week in early March. The new offering adds to Mack’ s battery electric vehicle( BEV) portfolio and marks the manufacturer’ s entry into the specialized utility segment.
“ This electric bucket truck represents the next natural step in our commitment to sustainable transportation solutions,” said George Fotopoulos, vice president of E-mobility at Mack Trucks.“ Our lightweight electric chassis provides the capability to handle more demanding applications, and when combined with Terex’ s expertise in utility equipment, we’ re delivering a solution that pushes the boundaries of what’ s possible in zero tailpipe emissions utility vehicles.”
“ Our collaboration with Mack Trucks represents continued movement forward in zero-emissions utility vehicles,” said Tyler Schwingler, product marketing manager at Terex Utilities.“ By combining our Optima HR55 aerial device with Mack’ s electric MD7 chassis, we’ re providing utility companies with a solution that doesn’ t compromise on performance or capability while meeting their sustainability goals.”
The new offering, according to Terex, delivers more payload capacity and range for utility fleet operations. The Mack MD Electric chassis enables up to 1.5 times greater range compared with other Class 6 and 7 medium-duty
Terex Utilities and Mack Trucks are bringing a new all-electric medium-duty bucket truck to the utility fleet market with the electric Mack MD7 chassis fitted with Terex’ s Optima HR55 aerial device powered by the HyPower SmartPTO by Viatec.
electric bucket trucks, the company noted, while providing double the rear axle payload capacity. This advancement directly addresses challenges in the utility sector where the combined weight of aerial equipment and battery systems often presented operational limitations.
The Terex aerial device on the Mack MD Electric chassis is powered by the HyPower SmartPTO by Viatec. Operating independently from the truck’ s power system, the configuration ensures utility crews can complete a normal workday with the boom and outriggers without impacting the truck’ s driving range.
While the plug-in electric power take-off connects to the hydraulic system for aerial device operation, it also provides battery power to the chassis for lighting and in cab HVAC to operate while the truck engine is off. The truck’ s conventional PTO remains available for environments like disaster recovery where plug-in battery charging might not be possible.
Optima Advancements
First introduced in 2017, the Terex Optima series includes five overcenter and five non-overcenter models. Frequently used for construction and maintenance of distribution lines, the Optima HR55 was the model selected for Terex Utilities’ debut of the industry’ s first all-electric bucket truck in 2022 when the aerial device was mounted on an International eMV Class 6 medium-duty electric chassis. Operator aids on the Terex Optima series include optional load alert
14 l March-April 2025