US truck giant Freightliner has unveiled a new Class 8 truck saying it will deliver improved fuel mileage, driver comfort and ergonomics. The truck named Cascadia, will eventually replace the Columbia and Century Class vehicles.
The Cascadia was designed to comply with the 2010 emissions standards and brought to market early to provide fleets and owner/operators with a way to begin recouping the increased costs associated with the latest rounds of emissions standards. Freightliner representatives said the Cascadia offers a 3% improvement in fuel economy over previous models and they said that the new model will offer best-in-class aerodynamics.
"Our customers are faced with the consequences of ever-tightening emissions standards, higher fuel prices, rapidly escalating wages and benefits, and a dire shortage of maintenance technicians," said Chris Patterson, president and CEO of Freightliner. He said the company opted to forge ahead with its latest offering even in the face of a downturn in the truck market, because customers demanded a way to recover some of the costs associated with the latest generation of heavy-duty vehicles.
Freightliner engineers performed 2,500 hours of wind tunnel testing at their own full-scale wind tunnel in Portland, USA, and refined components to improve airflow. The Cascadia is the first Freightliner truck designed and engineered in Freightliner`s wind tunnel.
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