Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
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commercial carrier journal | march 2018 25 Detroit rolls medium-duty DD8 into truck production L ess than a year aer the Detroit DD8 engine's introduc- tion, production of DD8-powered vehicles began last month at Daimler Truck North America's Freightliner plant in Mount Holly, N.C. Vocational and medium-duty truck customers now can spec the DD8 on Freightliner M2 106, 108SD and 114SD truck models. With engine ratings from 260 to 375 hp and a 660 to 1,050 lb.-. torque range in either single- or dual-stage configurations, the 7.7-liter DD8 falls in the gap between the DD5 (210-230 hp, 575-660 lb.-. torque) and the DD13 (350-505 hp, 1,250-1,850 lb.-. torque) in Detroit's engine portfolio. e new engine will serve as an alternative to the Cummins B6.7 (200-325 hp, 520- 750 lb.-. torque) and L9 (260-350 hp, 720-1,150 lb.-. torque) engines, which Freightliner will continue to offer in its vocation- al product range. "Our customers and dealers have been asking for a medium-duty engine product from us for years," said Kelly Gedert, director of product marketing for Freightliner Trucks and Detroit Components. "We always have had a third-party solution, but we want to provide our customers with choice." Detroit did not announce sales projections for the medi- um-duty DD8, but Gedert said the customer take rate on its DD5 sibling in its first year was roughly 33 percent when there was technical coverage for their application. She said Detroit will supply a DD5 with a power-takeoff option later this year. DD8 engine production began last fall and is manufactured alongside other engines and powertrain components at Detroit's engine plant in Redford, Mich. e new engine is Daimler's first 6-cylinder engine product for the NAFTA region since the Mer- cedes-Benz 926 was phased out in 2010. DTNA invested $375 million over four years to tailor the DD8 to the North American vocational and medium-duty markets. "e DD8 is built for performance with features that meet the needs of those specialized segments," said Brian Daniels, manager for Detroit Powertrain and Component Product Marketing. Daniels said the Detroit Connect Virtual Technician remote diagnostics system is included for three years/250,000 miles on both the DD8 and DD5. e DD8 offers variable exhaust cam phasing, an alterna- tive for manual regeneration that captures increased exhaust temperatures at low engine speeds and pushes the heat downstream to the aertreatment system. "e hottest moment in the engine is the point of combus- tion at the top of the cylinder," said Steve Collins, technical sales representative. "[Variable cam phasing] opens the exhaust valve sooner, while the piston is going down, to take advantage of peak high tempera- tures." e DD8 has three aertreatment system packages available depending on engine rating, truck model and upfit configuration. An understep ATS system with horizontal and vertical outlets is avail- able for the M2 106, 108SD and 114DS, while a horizontal in-line ATS system is exclusive to the M2 106 with either the single-stage or du- al-stage DD8. A raised understep ATS configuration with a vertical outlet also is available on 108SD and 114SD models equipped with a dual-stage DD8. Oil drain interval recommendations include 18 months/55,000 miles for short-haul applications, 12 months/60,000 miles for long-haul applications and 12 months/45,000 miles for severe-service applications. e DD8 has a base three-year/250,000-mile engine and ATS warranty and three extended warranty options ranging from 48 to 84 months and 150,000 to 300,000 miles. – Jeff Crissey Detroit's DD8 medium-duty engine now is available for Freight- liner M2 106, 108SD and 114SD truck models. The 7.7-liter DD8 has engine ratings from 260 to 375 hp and a 660 to 1,050 lb.-ft. torque range in either single- or dual-stage configurations.