Detroit Diesel switches to electricity to continue working with Freightliner
A sign of the times, the brand known for its diesel engines is becoming a supplier of electronic axles for Freightliner trucks.
Detroit Diesel will produce electric powertrains for the upcoming Freightliner eCascadia and Freightliner eM2 medium-duty truck, according to a press release from Daimler Trucks, parent company of Freightliner and Detroit Diesel.
The Detroit ePowertrain will be available in a single engine configuration with 180 horsepower and 11,500 lb-ft of torque, and a twin-engine version with 360 horsepower and 23,000 lb-ft of torque.
The ECascadia and eM2 will also be offered with three battery pack sizes – 210 kWh, 315 kWh and 475 kWh – using prismatic lithium-ion battery cells. Daimler estimates a maximum range of 230 miles for the eM2 and 250 miles for the eCascadia.
Production of Detroit ePowertrain components is scheduled to begin later this year in anticipation of the launch of both Freightliner trucks in 2022, which have received components from other sources for the approximately 40 pre-production trucks currently in use. While Detroit Diesel will continue to produce diesel engines, Daimler is investing $20 million to prepare a plant in the Detroit city of the same name to produce electric powertrains. Local production is important for many trucking companies.
Freightliner is preparing two trucks for production. In 2019, the company will distribute these early vehicles to customer fleets for real-world testing and feedback. Daimler Trucks North America is also working with Portland General Electric to set up a medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicle charging test facility in Portland, where Daimler Trucks North America is headquartered.
Not all of Daimler’s future zero-emission trucks, a subsidiary of Freightliner, will be electric. The company is also working with rival Volvo Trucks on hydrogen fuel cells .
Meanwhile, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said last month that deliveries of the company’s own electric semi-trailer will start by the end of the year as Tesla expands the use of its proprietary battery technology. Can Tesla’s newcomer surpass the old Freightliner and Detroit Diesel arms with an electric truck?