Detroit DT 12 to appear in Freightliner Cascadia Evolution model launched in May and to start production next year
August 9, 2012
Daimler Trucks North America has officially taken the covers off its Detroit DT 12 automated manual transmission.
The new transmission will be available in the new Freightliner Cascadia Evolution, unveiled in May and powered by its Detroit DD15 engine, which is expected to enter production next year, with the company claiming previously fuel efficiency savings for the model of 6.7 percent in long-haul applications.
“The DT12 transmission complements the Detroit engines and axles with features that positively impact efficiency and performance,” Engine and Component Marketing Manager Brad Williamson says.
“The Detroit brand has long been synonymous with power and economy, and the DT12 continues our legacy of benefitting our customers’ bottom lines.”
The 12-speed, direct- or over-drive automated manual transmission combines a traditional manual gearbox with computer-controlled shift and clutch actuators.
These select the correct shift pattern and clutch engagement for fuel economy and engine power, the company says.
The DT12’s creep mode is designed to simulate a torque converter to improve low speed manoeuverability for parking, docking, heavy traffic and other low speed situations.
Advanced technologies include Skip Shift, which automatically skips gears, enabling the transmission to run through lower gears faster to achieve cruising speed sooner; and eCoast, which allows the vehicle to ‘coast’ down grades with the engine operating at idle speeds while preserving vehicle momentum, maximizing fuel efficiency.
“The ability for the transmission and engine to share information fully leverages our integrated powertrain, providing a significant advantage to the driver,” Williamson says.
In January, Daimler Trucks North America said it was ramping up production at its Freightliner Truck Manufacturing Plant in Cleveland.
The Cleveland plant is the largest building Freightliners models, including the Cascadia, Columbia and Argosy.
Nearly 20 percent of the trucks built there are sold through Daimler subsidiaries Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
