Daimler Truck AG, known as Daimler Truck, is celebrating a significant achievement: the production of its 1 millionth Freightliner Cascadia heavy-duty truck. This milestone is particularly noteworthy as the Cascadia is the first Class 8 truck in North America to reach this impressive seven-figure mark.
The Freightliner Cascadia has established itself as the market leader in Class 8 commercial trucks, thanks to its continual innovations focused on driver comfort, enhanced safety features, and improved fuel efficiency. Since its launch in 2007, the Cascadia has seen a remarkable increase in fuel efficiency, surpassing 35%.
Continuing its legacy of innovation, the Cascadia is at the forefront of industry advancements. For instance, it serves as the foundation for the SuperTruck initiative, a multi-year project co-funded by the Department of Energy (DOE). This initiative explores next-generation technologies for heavy-duty commercial trucks, with potential applications for series production trucks. Additionally, the battery electric Freightliner eCascadia, introduced in 2022, has already logged over 6 million miles with customers across more than 50 fleets in the U.S.
Looking ahead, Daimler Truck North America (DTNA) has developed an autonomous-ready Cascadia, equipped with redundant safety features such as braking and steering. This truck is tailored for autonomous driving functionalities and is currently undergoing real-world testing by Torc Robotics, an independent subsidiary of DTNA.
David Carson, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at DTNA, expressed gratitude to customers for their trust in the Cascadia and Freightliner, which has contributed to reaching the 1 million mark. The Cascadia is supported by a robust dealer network of nearly 500 locations across North America, ensuring sales and service accessibility.
Throughout its history, the Freightliner Cascadia has undergone key product developments:
- First Generation Cascadia with the Detroit DD15 (2007)
- Second Generation Cascadia ‘Evolution’ (2012)
- Introduction of Detroit Connect (2013)
- Launch of Detroit Assurance (2015)
- Debut of Freightliner Inspiration Truck (2015)
- SuperTruck I (2015)
- Third Generation Cascadia (2017)
- Fourth Generation Cascadia with SAE L2 capabilities (2019)
- Introduction of right-hand drive Cascadia (2019)
- Start of Freightliner eCascadia production (2022)
- Launch of SuperTruck II (2023)
Furthermore, the U.S. Department of Energy has announced funding for the Freightliner SuperTruck III program, slated to be unveiled in 2027, continuing the trajectory of advancements in efficient freight design and aerodynamics.
