Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA), along with its component brand Detroit, unveiled the new Detroit DD8 Medium Duty Engine.
Aimed at the vocational truck markets the Detroit DD8 is a 7.7L in-line six-cylinder medium duty engine. It offers a horsepower range of 260-350hp and a torque range of 660 - 1,050 ft/lbs. The DD8 will expand on the Detroit medium duty platform that was launched last year with the DD5, and will provide customers fuel efficiency leadership and best-in-class maintenance intervals. In addition, the DD8 will launch with both engine and transmission power-take-off options required for many vocational applications.
The DD8 will initially be available in the Freightliner M2106, 108SD and 114SD models giving customers more options to meet the tough demands of their businesses while providing real cost of ownership benefits such as longer maintenance intervals and improved fuel efficiency. Expanded availability into additional DTNA products will come later with future availability planned for Thomas Built Buses and Freightliner Custom Chassis.
Vehicles equipped with the DD8 will feature Detroit Connect Virtual Technician remote diagnostic service. Virtual Technician helps fleets make informed maintenance decisions, so that they only service their vehicles when needed. In the case that a vehicle does need to go into the shop, Virtual Technician, with the backing of the experts at the Detroit Customer Support Center, provides access to the most in-depth information available to get the vehicle repaired as accurately and quickly as possible, improving uptime.
“Daimler Trucks North America is excited to add the Detroit DD8 engine to its medium duty engine lineup. The Detroit DD8 is ideally suited for the vocational applications across the Daimler Trucks North America family of products,” said Kary Schaefer, general manager, marketing and strategy, Daimler Trucks North America. “The medium duty engine options are all about giving our customers added value when making their engine selections. The DD5, and now the DD8, will lead the industry in uptime and fuel efficiency. With these advantages as well as Virtual Technician, we are providing our customers a smart business solution. We are confident that our customers will Demand Detroit in the medium duty market just as they have in the heavy duty market.”
The Detroit DD8 is scheduled for availability with vehicle production beginning in February 2018, and targets a wide range of vocational applications including, utility/maintenance/repair service, pick-up and delivery, oil field, construction, logging, plow and dump, wrecking, refuse, fire/emergency and recreational vehicles. DTNA announced in November 2015 a $375 million investment to bring the manufacturing of both proprietary medium duty engines to its manufacturing facility in Redford, Mich.. The facility also produces the Detroit heavy duty line of engines, and the DT12 Automated Manual Transmission, as well as its complete offering of Detroit axles.
