PORTLAND, Ore. – Sept. 12, 2019 – Production of the Freightliner Cascadia with enhanced safety and aerodynamic solutions has begun, providing customers with a truck that is safer, more fuel efficient and offers a better driver experience than ever before.
Detroit Assurance 5.0 is now standard with Freightliner Cascadias powered by Detroit engines. This proprietary radar and camera fused system features standard active safety and advanced driver assistance technologies designed to keep drivers, other motorists and pedestrians safe, including:
- Adaptive Cruise Control to 0 MPH: Automatically decelerates and accelerates to maintain a safe following distance. In stop-and-go-traffic, if the vehicle in front stops, the truck will also come to a stop and hold indefinitely. If the vehicle ahead moves in less than two seconds, the truck will resume moving at a safe following distance.
- Active Brake Assist 5.0 – Full Braking on Moving Pedestrian: When a moving pedestrian enters the truck’s path, Detroit Assurance 5.0 applies input from the radar and camera sensors to warn the driver using visual and audible warnings simultaneously with partial emergency braking. If the driver doesn’t act, full emergency braking brings the truck to a complete stop.
Additionally, new standard features with Detroit Assurance 5.0 include automatic wipers/headlamps, Intelligent High Beam, and traffic sign display.
Leading, available safety technology
Side Guard Assist is an optional feature available with Detroit Assurance 5.0 that detects objects, including pedestrians and cyclists, in the passenger-side blind spot along the full length of the tractor and trailer.
“Helping keep motorists and pedestrians safe is our top priority, and the advanced technologies and groundbreaking innovations of Detroit Assurance 5.0 can help mitigate collisions and reduce unplanned expenses and downtime for our customers,” said Kelly Gedert, director of product marketing for Freightliner Trucks and Detroit Components. “Detroit Assurance 5.0 illustrates our commitment to increasing safety for everyone on the road.”
Active Lane Assist, an optional feature available in early 2020, consists of Lane Departure Protection and Lane Keep Assist. With Lane Departure Protection, if the truck begins to drift from its lane without the turn signal activated, a rumble sound, along with a visual warning, will alert the driver. The system will then counter steer the truck back into its lane. When Adaptive Cruise Control is enabled, Lane Keep Assist uses micro-steering movements to keep the new Cascadia centered in its detected lane. With the addition of lateral steering assist offered by the optional Active Lane Assist feature, in combination with Adaptive Cruise Control, Freightliner and Detroit will begin delivering the first production SAE Level 2 automated truck in North America.
Enhanced aerodynamics
Enhancements to all three aerodynamic packages for the Cascadia further improve the Cascadia’s industry-leading fuel performance. The Standard package now includes A-pillar deflectors, tow hook covers and side extender seals. The Aero package adds enhanced chassis fairing skirts and the AeroX package features an optimized low ground clearance bumper, optimized roof deflector, optimized drive wheel fairings and front wheel well closeouts.
Additional aerodynamic options available include the industry first Aerodynamic Height Control, which electronically lowers the suspension height one inch at 55 miles per hour to optimize airflow over and under the front of the truck and reduce drag. Michelin X Line D+ Energy tires, developed in collaboration with Michelin and exclusive to the Cascadia, are also available and reduce rolling resistance in 6x4 applications. All of the new aerodynamic features available on Cascadia provide up to a five percent increase in fuel efficiency over the current model.
Noted Gedert: “Our new aerodynamic options demonstrate our dedication to helping our customers achieve the best possible performance from their trucks. Freightliner continues to set the bar higher when it comes to designing features that provide better performance and enhanced efficiency.”
Intelligent power
Critical to the Cascadia’s performance is the Integrated Detroit® Powertrain. The powerful combination of either Detroit DD15 or DD13 engines, the Detroit DT12 automated manual transmission, and Detroit axles seamlessly works together to maximize performance.
A key update for the Cascadia from Detroit is Intelligent Powertrain Management 6 (IPM6), which comes standard with the DT12. Like earlier IPM technology, IPM6 integrates pre-loaded terrain maps and GPS into engine and transmission functions to know the route ahead and uses the truck’s kinetic energy to automatically adjust to its surroundings by reducing braking power and making transmission and engine adjustments. With the introduction of IPM6, map coverage of existing major highways and interstates has increased by 35%.
Another benefit of the powerful combination of Cascadia and Detroit designed to improve uptime is the Cascadia Maintenance System. This onboard monitoring system computes optimal maintenance intervals based on actual operating conditions of the vehicle. The system utilizes oil temperature data and other inputs to more accurately determine oil change intervals, and it improves additional service recommendations based on engine and transmission load data.
