During the American Trucking Associations’ Summit on Natural Gas in Trucking in late November, Freightliner Trucks announced that it is now offering a customer demonstrator program for its all new Freightliner Cascadia 113 natural gas daycab. Five customer demonstrator tractors will be available in the United States and Canada to provide customers direct experience with Freightliner’s newest alternative fuel product.
Full production on the Cascadia 113 natural gas begins in Q3 2013.
Equipped with the new Cummins Westport ISX12 G heavy-duty natural gas engine, the Allison 4000HS transmission, and 115-diesel-gallon-equivalent compressed natural gas (CNG) fuel tanks, the Cascadia 113 natural gas tractor is ideal for regional haul and less-than-truckload applications.
The 12-liter ISX12 G natural gas engine is based on the Cummins ISX12 diesel heavy duty engine platform and will operate on either CNG or liquefied natural gas (LNG). It features ratings of 400 horsepower and 1,450 lb-ft torque, optional engine brake, and manual and automatic transmission capability.
“Natural gas products can result in significant fuel cost savings, making it a smart choice for increasing profitability while benefitting the environment,” said TJ Reed, director, product strategy for Freightliner Trucks. “By providing our customers with the opportunity to test drive a Cascadia 113 natural gas, they’ll experience first-hand the performance and efficiency of an alternative fuel solution.”
The tractor is just one of Freightliner Trucks’ natural gas-powered vehicles, which also includes the Freightliner Business Class M2 112 and the 114SD. Parent company Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) reportedly leads the medium and heavy commercial vehicle market in the production of natural gas powered conventional vehicles with a combined sales figure of more than 4,600 natural gas vehicles across its brands. Of those, Freightliner Trucks has sold more than 1,800 trucks and tractors since 2008.
DTNA’s commitment to green technologies is part of parent company Daimler AG’s global “Shaping Future Transportation” initiative. Launched in 2007, the initiative is focused on reducing criteria pollutants, carbon dioxide, and fuel consumption through the utilization of clean, efficient drive systems, and alternative fuels.