World premiere of the new battery electric Freightliner eCascadia

PORTLAND, Ore., May 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Freightliner Trucks, a division of Daimler Truck North America LLC (DTNA), today unveiled the new eCascadia at ACT Expo in Long Beach, CA. Built on the best-selling heavy-duty truck platform in North America, the new battery electric Freightliner eCascadia provides customers with a zero-emission version of the industry-leading Cascadia and debuts its innovative safety and connectivity features.

Extensive development and rigorous testing through several prototypes and customer-tested trucks, resulted in a powerful and efficient battery electric truck with multiple battery and drive axle options, providing a typical range of 230 miles (depending on vehicle configurations)¹. The eCascadia is ideally suited for short-haul routes that allow for depot-based charging, examples of which include last mile logistics, local and regional distribution, drayage and warehouse to warehouse applications.

• 320-470 hp (Horsepower)
• Typical range of 230 miles (depending on vehicle configurations)¹
• Multiple battery options and maximum capacity of almost 440 kWh²
• Recharge of 80 percent in approximately 90 minutes
• Up to 82,000 lbs max GCW (Gross Combination Weight)
• Available with single or tandem eAxle
• 116" day cab configuration

Powered by in-house developed Detroit ePowertrain

Detroit, the industry-leading manufacturer of state-of-the-art engines, axles and transmissions, is the power behind the eCascadia. The in-house developed Detroit ePowertrain is designed for a full integration with the eCascadia for maximum power, increased driving dynamics, and driver comfort, all with zero emission.

The eAxle is an electric drivetrain component integrated with an electric motor, transmission and specialized electronics within a compact unit. Detroit's ePowertrain provides two eAxle designs including a dual motor with max torque of 23,000 lb-ft and max power of 395 hp, and a single motor featuring a max torque of 11,500 lb-ft and max power of 195 hp.

The Detroit ePowertrain offers three battery options for a range of sizes and average, zero-to-full charging times starting with 194 kWh (one and a half to three hours), 291 kWh (two to four hours), and 438 kWh (two to six hours). Detroit's Li-Ion batteries enable the eCascadia to meet critical range targets without sacrificing payload.

Because the Detroit ePowertrain produces less heat than a traditional combustion engine, temperature and packaging requirements for cooling are minimized. This allows the eCascadia to come with closed hood vents, and a new grille, which reduces drag by forcing more air around the vehicle, as opposed to pulling it through the radiator.

Innovative Detroit Connect eServices for an efficient and productive electric fleet

Connectivity plays a critical role in successful freight operations. Innovative Detroit Connect eServices have been exclusively developed for eCascadia and offer features that allow for maximum uptime, productivity, and profitability.

An in-house developed Charger Management System (CMS) is integrated directly into the Detroit Connect portal. CMS provides reports about depot utilization, data for grant compliance and Low Carbon Fuel Standard credit reporting, and can strategically save fleets money by leveraging demand-response incentives from local utilities. Additionally, CMS allows for staggered charging of multiple vehicles, charging during off-peak-demand hours, and partial charging. CMS is optimized for use with Detroit eFill chargers, and is also compatible with other popular charger models.

The eRange prediction tool automatically and accurately calculates and displays range over the course of a proposed trip. To give the most accurate indication possible, the tool analyzes multiple data inputs including vehicle parameters, load, weather, traffic, and road gradient. eRange Prediction allows for testing of "what-if" scenarios and performs analysis.

Battery health monitoring tracks and gives visibility into the eCascadia battery's state-of-health percentage, state-of-charge percentage, remaining range miles, and charging status. Post-trip analysis gives actionable information to improve the eCascadia's performance, utilization, and driver training. Based on actual trip data, users can visualize and quantify operational differences between trips. Outlying data is highlighted so that managers can easily identify exceptional situations.

Initial release of the CMS solution will occur in Q4 of 2022. Additional CMS features will be introduced in 2023.

Detroit Connect's traditional features are also available on the new eCascadia, including remote updates to reduce the need to stop and physically connect the vehicle to initiate firmware updates. Remote updates allow users to update one or hundreds of trucks from a single location.

Detroit Assurance suite of safety systems for electric trucks

The Freightliner eCascadia comes standard with Detroit Assurance with Active Brake Assist 5 (ABA 5), setting the benchmark for advanced safety for heavy-duty electric commercial vehicles.

The release of the series production eCascadia marks the debut of a new Detroit Assurance safety feature: Active Side Guard Assist (ASGA). This industry-first technology engages at urban speeds (12 mph or less) to mitigate the truck from making a right turn when a moving cyclist or pedestrian is detected on the passenger side of the truck. ASGA applies automatic braking along with visual and auditory warnings, and is ideal for busy urban settings. This first-of-its-kind technology will help to protect pedestrian on the road today.

The eCascadia will also be the first version of the Cascadia to come standard with Active Lane Assist (ALA). As another first-of-its-kind safety feature it combines Level 2 automated driving with a suite of driver comfort features.  

Detroit eConsulting and eFill chargers for seamless transition to electric

Detroit eConsulting is a customer-solution with the goal of making electrification for fleets approachable. The team has worked with nearly 40 Freightliner customers in the last several years. Detroit eConsultants are able to connect all of the dots for customers including right-sizing infrastructure, choosing ideal chargers, navigating rebates and incentives, site selection, connectivity insights, photovoltaic and energy storage options and more. 

Additionally, the Detroit eFill line of electric commercial vehicle chargers provide an array of commercial charger options for customers and charging station operators designed for seamless integration with the Detroit ePowertrain. The first Detroit eFill chargers were deployed across California earlier this year by California Truck Centers.

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Daimler Truck North America LLC, headquartered in Portland, Oregon, is a leading provider of comprehensive products and technologies for the commercial transportation industry. Daimler Truck North America designs, engineers, manufactures and markets medium- and heavy-duty trucks, school buses, vehicle chassis and their associated technologies and components under the Freightliner, Western Star, Thomas Built Buses, Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp and Detroit brands. Daimler Truck North America is a subsidiary of Daimler Truck Holding AG (DTG), one of the world's leading commercial vehicle manufacturers.

¹ Tandem-drive: 220 miles / single-drive long-range: 230 miles / single-drive standard range: 155 miles
² Two spec'able battery capacities: 438 kWh (for tandem and single-drive) / 291 kWh (only for single-drive)

SOURCE Daimler Truck North America