Freightliner says the 2014 Cascadia Evolution is exactly what its model name implies: a designed step forward in terms of fuel efficiency and powertrain optimization, building upon the company’s highly successful Cascadia highway tractor.
“Our customers are looking for some very specific things from truck manufacturers based on the daily challenges they face,” says Mark Lampert, senior vice president, sales and marketing, for Freightliner. “Raising fuel prices, driver shortages, and slim profit margins all play a part in their buying decisions. Trucking is a penny business: We know that the smallest improvements to a truck’s overall efficiency directly benefit our customers’ bottom lines.
“That’s why we’re excited to announce that our 2014 Cascadia Evolution delivers a staggering 7 percent [improvement] in fuel economy over our current, base, Cascadia model and a 5 percent fuel economy improvement compared to our current Cascadia with our optimal aerodynamics package.”
According to David Hames, general manager, marketing and strategy for Daimler Trucks North America, several key advancements have made these impressive fuel economy increases possible for the Cascadia Evolution, which will be the standard Cascadia spec beginning in 2014.
These improvements include substantial upgrades to DTNA’s Detroit DD15 diesel engine, including a new ACRS fuel rail system, a new water pump design to reduce parasitic engine drag and an asymmetric compounding turbocharger. These enhancements are combined with an enhanced exterior aerodynamic package to achieve substantial fuel economy gains, which Hames says have been validated in wind tunnel, closed-track and real-world test conditions.
The Cascadia Evolution will enter production in the first quarter of next year.
