Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) and Detroit unveiled the new DD8 Medium-Duty Engine at the NTEA Work Truck Show in Indianapolis, presenting an eventual power option for school bus customers.
The 7.7L in-Line 6-Cylinder medium-duty engine is aimed at the vocational truck markets and the Thomas Built Buses HDX school bus. The engine has a horsepower range of 260-350HP and a torque range of 660-1050 lb.-ft. The DD8 will expand the Detroit medium-duty platform that was launched last year with the DD5 and will provide customers with fuel efficiency and maintenance intervals. The engine will launch with both engine and transmission power-take-off options required for many vocational applications.
The Detroit DD8 will be available in the Freightliner M2106, 108SD and 114SD models giving customers more options to meet the tough demands of their businesses, while also providing real cost of ownership such as longer maintenance intervals.
Expanded availability into additional DTNA products will come later with future availability planned for Thomas Built Buses and Freightliner Custom Chassis. The DD8, which will power the rear engine HDX, is scheduled for school bus operations in late 2018, along with the DD5 engine, which has a horsepower of 210-230HP and a torque range of 575-660 pounds per foot, for the Saf-T-Liner C2.
Vehicles using the DD8 engine will feature the Detroit Connect Virtual Technician remote diagnostic service. The Virtual Technician helps fleets make informed maintenance decisions so the vehicles receive service only when needed. If for any reason the vehicle needs special attention from a maintenance shop, the Virtual Technician and the experts at the Detroit Customer Support Center will provide access to in-depth information to get the vehicle repaired as accurately and quickly as possible to improve vehicle uptime.
The DD8 targets a wide range of vocational applications including:
- Utility, maintenance and repair service
- Pick-up and delivery
- Oil field
- Construction
- Logging
- Plow and dump
- Wrecking
- Refuse
- Fire emergency
- Recreational vehicles
“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 products,” said Kary Schaefer, general manager of marketing and strategy for Daimler Trucks North America.
She explained that, “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 up-time 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.”
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, Michigan. 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 Axels.
