AutoPartsAsia | OCTOBER 2017 | 67D
aimler Trucks is celebrating
two significant anniversaries
in North America: 75 years
of Freightliner Trucks and
50 years of Western Star Trucks,
respectively, demonstrating Daimler’s
strong commercial vehicle legacy in the
NAFTA region. Daimler Trucks North
America (DTNA) can look back on a
rich history of continuous innovation,
during which its trucks have become
the economic backbone across the
continent
In the year of its 75th birthday,
Freightliner has started production of
its flagship truck, the New Cascadia
- Freightliner’s most connected truck
ever, setting industry standards in
connectivity solutions. It is also its
safest and most efficient Freightliner
truck to date. With fuel efficiency of
up to eight percent and even higher
operating times, total cost of ownership
is at an all time low for customers.
Daimler’s investment of around $300
million is paying off; Currently, over
half of the class 8 orders are for New
Cascadia. And it is expected that there
will be a further significant increase
as additional variants are rolled out
throughout the rest of this year.
With its recently launched 5700XE,
the most fuel-efficient Western Star
truck to date, and the 6900 Multi-
Body-Transformer (MBT), Western
Star is gaining strong momentum
in its anniversary year. Western Star
trucks have become the benchmark
for ultimate toughness, while at the
same time guaranteeing customers an
exceptional driving experience.
Western Star traces its roots back 50
years to the Canadian logging and
mining industries. The brand has
since established itself as the premier
vocational and over-the-road heavy
duty truck manufacturer in the region.
All-electric Truck
Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus
Corporation (MFTBC), part of Daimler
Trucks has launched the FUSO eCanter
in New York City. The FUSO eCanter
is the world’s first series-produced
all-electric light-duty truck and will be
delivered to customers starting this
year in the US, Europe and Japan.
MFTBC is planning to deliver 500
units of this generation to customers
within the next two years. Larger scale
production is intended to start in 2019.
Marc Llistosella, President and CEOof Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus
Corporation and Head of Daimler
Trucks Asia, said: “In times, when
everybody is talking about electric
trucks, we are the first to actually
commercialize a series produced
all-electric truck. Having a long history
in alternative drivetrains, we are proud
to step into this new era. Our FUSO
eCanter comes with years of customer
testing, and the assurance of parts,
services, and warranty through our
global FUSO dealership network.”
“Our new FUSO eCanter now
addresses the increasing global
demand for products to meet and
exceed high CO2 emission standards.
It offers an attractive and cost-effective
alternative to combustion engines and
makes electric trucks key to the future
of inner city distribution”, Llistosella
added.FUSO said UPS is the company’s
first US commercial partner for the
eCanter. UPS will use the zero-emission
trucks to move its fleet toward being
more sustainable. Carlton Rose,
President, Global Fleet Maintenance
and Engineering, said: “At UPS,
we constantly evaluate and deploy
advanced technologies that enable
sustainable, innovative solutions for
our fleet. Electric trucks make our fleet
both cleaner and quieter, adding to our
already more than 8,500 alternative
drivetrain vehicles in service now. We
have a long-standing global relationship
with Daimler, and we welcome the
opportunity to trial the Fuso eCanter as
UPS continues to realize the benefits of
electric trucks.”Daimler Trucks Celebrates Freightliner,
Western Star Anniversaries
APA Bureau
Brothers: The 1942 Model 600 “Shovelnose” and the 2017 New CascadiaFuso eCanter