Daimler Truck Unveils Battery Electric Autonomous Freightliner eCascadia at ACT Expo Show Floor

Daimler Truck Unveils Battery Electric Autonomous Freightliner eCascadia at ACT Expo

The future of commercial trucking was on display at this year’s ACT Expo show floor as Daimler Truck introduced its cutting-edge battery electric autonomous Freightliner eCascadia technology demonstrator. Attendees were given a sneak peek into the possibilities of zero-emission and autonomous technologies working together to revolutionize the industry.

Equipped with Torc Robotics’ autonomous driving software and the latest Level 4 sensor and compute technology, the eCascadia is based on a production battery-electric Freightliner model. While currently a research and advanced engineering project for Daimler Truck, the combination of these technologies could potentially be offered to fleets in the near future to meet their operational needs.

John O’Leary, president and CEO of Daimler Truck North America, highlighted the importance of offering customers choices that will help them keep the world moving efficiently. The eCascadia is being tested in hub-to-hub applications, with the goal of autonomously driving between freight centers along U.S. highway corridors.

Joanna Buttler, Head of Global Autonomous Technology Group at Daimler Truck, emphasized the company’s commitment to introducing autonomous trucks in the U.S. by 2027. Daimler Truck has been testing autonomous technology since 2015, with the Freightliner Inspiration Truck being the first licensed SAE Level 2 autonomous commercial truck to operate on public highways in the U.S.

With plans to enter the market with production SAE Level 4 autonomous trucks by 2027, Daimler Truck and Torc are leading the way in developing innovative solutions for the future of commercial trucking. Their collaborative efforts with fleet customers and logistics companies such as Schneider and C.R. England are paving the way for a new era of autonomous-electric technology in the industry.