GREENSBORO, NC - Buyers of a Mack TerraPro truck equipped with a Cummins Westport ISL-G natural gas engine can receive a $32,000 tax credit, according to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. 

IRS informed Mack Trucks Inc. on April 6 that the MY 2011 TerraPro series with the ISL-G is certified for the Qualified Alternative Fuel Motor Vehicle Credit and that purchasers may claim the credit on their 2010 Federal Business Income Tax filing. 

"This is excellent news," said Curtis Dorwart, marketing manager for vocational products. "The tax credit is more welcome than ever for fleets which need to use alternative fuels to meet state or local mandates. While natural gas has benefits in some applications, it has a higher acquisition cost for new vehicles than diesel. This helps offset that difference." 

Natural gas in either compressed (CNG) or liquid (LNG) form burns very cleanly, has abundant domestic supplies and is comparable to diesel in terms of cost over the life of the vehicle. The ISL-G-equipped TerraPro model was specifically engineered and built to operate on natural gas, and the engine is installed on the production line at the Mack Macungie Assembly Operations plant, the company said.  

"This means each truck comes with a full factory warranty and a higher level of performance and reliability in refuse applications," Mack Trucks said. The 9-liter ISL-G is rated at 320 hp, can use CNG or LNG, and has a three-way catalytic converter to meet EPA 2010 emissions standards. 

Mack will display a TerraPro model, equipped with the ISL-G, at Waste Expo 2010 on May 4-6 in Atlanta.