Daimler Starts AMT Production for North America

[kscarbel]

Transport Topics / May 13, 2013

GAGGENAU, Germany — Daimler Trucks officially began full production of its first automated manual transmissions designed for North American heavy-duty trucks at its plant here.

The first DT12 transmissions will go into Freightliner Cascadias beginning May 6 at the Daimler Trucks North America Freightliner plant in Cleveland, N.C., while a new assembly line to produce these transmissions will open in the United States during 2015.

By the time the assembly line opens at DTNA’s Redford plant outside Detroit, it will produce DT12s for the 13-, 15- and 16-liter engines that the company sells throughout North America and will employ some 115 workers.

Daimler officials have said they will invest $120 million in improvements in order to shift the line to the United States.

Up to now, DTNA has offered AMTs produced only by independent third-party suppliers.

DTNA officials said they are convinced that the superior fuel efficiency produced by the automated manuals will make them a fleet favorite, and they have predicted the AMTs will account for more than 50% of industry sales in North America by 2016.

They estimated that about 15% of new heavy-duty trucks purchased in America during 2012 were AMTs and the rest were manuals; in Europe, they said, the numbers were reversed.

The DT12 is based on an AMT that Daimler first created for its line of heavy-duty trucks in Europe, the Actros, and shares about 90% of the parts from that model. The North American version is designed to run on 12 volts and not the 24 volts that’s the standard in Europe, so the electrical systems are different, as well as some gearing.

AMTs are more efficient because they weigh less and shift gears at the optimum time, officials said. Reintjes added that early test results at fleets using the DT12 show about a 4% fuel-efficiency improvement.

The DT12s began rolling through Daimler’s transmission machining factory here on April 29 and through its final assembly plant, located nearby in Rastatt. The company is currently finishing a new assembly line to handle the DT12s in Rastatt, and officials said that it will be copied exactly at the Redford plant.

For now, the DT12s will be offered only for customers who order the Cascadia with the DD15 engine. Officials said they would become available for DD13 customers in October and for DD16 customers in May 2014.

[kscarbel]

It's interesting to note that Daimler is promoting their AMT transmission in the United States as a Daimler product.

Why does Volvo continue to deceive customers and rebadge Volvo engines, transmissions, chassis, and suspensions under a Mack name? Why won't Volvo be be upfront and open about the facts as Daimler is doing?

[farmer52]

So if Volvo dropped the Mack name and branded everything as VOLVO, you would okay with that???

[kscarbel]

So if Volvo dropped the Mack name and branded everything as VOLVO, you would be okay with that???

Absolutely. Call a spade a spade. Volvo should stop insulting the proud name of the former Mack Trucks by selling what amounts to being a Volvo with a Mack nameplate on it.

[220cummins]

Absolutely. Call a spade a spade. Stop insulting the proud name of Mack Trucks by selling what amounts to a being a Volvo with a Mack nameplate on it.

LALALA someone is talking non-sense again lol

[2stacksuperdog]

LALALA someone is talking non-sense again lol

He does kinda have a point. If its a Volvo transmission or suspension then call it Volvo but if its a Mack transmission or suspension its Mack. Its kinda like putting a Detroit in a Mack and then calling it a Mack motor just because it is used in a Mack

[RFCDrum]

He does kinda have a point. If its a Volvo transmission or suspension then call it Volvo but if its a Mack transmission or suspension its Mack. Its kinda like putting a Detroit in a Mack and then calling it a Mack motor just because it is used in a Mack

Good point.