Freightliner making Cummins’ nat gas engine available for severe duty truck

The Cummins Westport ISX12 G-powered Freightliner 114SD will be available next year.The Cummins Westport ISX12 G-powered Freightliner 114SD will be available next year.

Daimler Trucks North America this week announced the availability of the Cummins Westport ISX12 G natural gas engine as a factory-installed option for the Freightliner 114SD severe-duty truck beginning in 2015. Until now, the truck has only been available with the Cummins Westport ISL G 9-liter natural gas engine.

“We see the advent of natural gas and its role going forward,” said Richard Saward, Freightliner’s general manager of vocational sales. “We are committed to make sure we continue to embed natural gas vehicles into the vocational product lineup and it makes sense to do that.” 

The company made the unveiling at a Daimler Trucks North American press event taking place this week in Yountville, Calif.

Daimler said in the last 5 years, it has increased its vocational marketshare to 31 percent — making it the leader in the segment, including the marketshare leader in specialized hauling, utility, food and beverage, government, construction and refuse applications, the company says.

In terms of the overall North American Class 6-8 truck market, Richard Howard, DTNA’s new senior vice president of sales and marketing, said the company expects sales to reach 372,600 power units for all OEMs combined, up roughly 10 percent from 339,288 power units in 2013. 

OD sister site CCJ has a full write-up from Daimler’s press event. Click here to read it.