Detroit Diesel Corporation Business Report FY ended Dec. 2014

Contracts

-In 2014, the Company announced that the Detroit DT12 transmission will be standard on the all-new Western Star 5700XE. Also available in the 5700XE are the Detroit DD13, DD15 and DD16 engines as well as Detroit axles. In addition, every 5700XE comes standard with the Detroit Virtual Technician remote diagnostic service. (From a press release on September 11, 2014)

-In 2014, the Company announced that it has received 17,000 orders for the Detroit DT12 transmission. Available in the Freightliner Cascadia Evolution and part of the Detroit product offering, the DT12 combines the operational ease of an automatic with the efficiency of a manual transmission. (From a press release on March 26, 2014)

SuperTruck program

-In 2014, the Company announced that Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) has realized the objectives of its SuperTruck program one year ahead of schedule. Sponsored by the Department of Energy (DOE), the SuperTruck program is a five-year research and development initiative focused on improving freight efficiency, reducing fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions of Class 8 trucks. Including DTNA, four major truck OEMs were awarded multi-million dollar grants by the DOE. DTNA worked with project partners to exceed program goals by designing a heavy-duty Class 8 truck that demonstrated a more than 50 percent improvement in overall freight efficiency over a 2007 baseline tractor-trailer combination. DTNA also showed engine efficiency by achieving more than 50 percent engine brake thermal efficiency. Plans to complete and test a final demonstration vehicle with additional fuel and weight savings measures are scheduled for late 2014. (From a press release on June 19, 2014)

Product Developments

Intelligent Powertrain Management (IPM) system
-In 2014, the Company announced that the Intelligent Powertrain Management (IPM) system will be standard on all Detroit DT12 automated manual transmissions paired with any heavy-duty Detroit engine, beginning in March 2015. The new Intelligent Powertrain Management integrates pre-loaded terrain maps and GPS into engine and transmission functions to know the route ahead, up to one mile. The main goal of IPM is to use the momentum of the truck most efficiently to reduce fuel consumption. It achieves this by preventing unnecessary shifts, predictively engine braking and fueling, shifting optimally, and precisely controlling eCoast events. IPM also integrates seamlessly with the new Detroit Assurance suite of safety systems to provide virtually effort free driving when cruise control is engaged. (From a press release on December 5, 2014)

New safety system Detroit Assurance
-In 2014, Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) has introduced a proprietary suite of safety systems, Detroit Assurance. With Detroit Assurance, customers can　fully integrate their Detroit powertrain and safety system, resulting in a higher level of safety and performance. Available for the Freightliner Cascadia Evolution and Cascadia equipped with Detroit engines, the Detroit Assurance safety suite is seamlessly integrated into the truck's dashboard, engine and transmission electronics. Detroit Assurance tracks the truck's position in comparison to other traffic and obstacles to warn the driver or, if necessary, slow the truck down automatically. (From a press release on October 6, 2014)

New medium duty engines
-In 2014, the Company announced that Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) will offer Detroit medium duty engines beginning in 2016. The new engines, branded the Detroit DD5 and DD8, will allow DTNA to further expand Detroit engines to its complete product portfolio. The engines will be initially built and shipped from Daimler's powertrain facility in Mannheim, Germany with further plans to industrialize the engines in North America in 2018. The new DD5 and DD8 engines will be offered throughout Daimler Trucks North America's product portfolio which includes Freightliner, Western Star, Thomas Built Buses, and Freightliner Custom Chassis vehicles. (From a press release on October 6, 2014)

New integrated Detroit Powertrain
-In 2014, the Company has introduced its new integrated Detroit Powertrain, featuring the Detroit DD15 engine, Detroit DT12 transmission and Detroit axles. Available starting in January 2015 for the Freightliner Cascadia Evolution and later in 2015 for the new Western Star 5700, the integrated Detroit Powertrain builds on the solutions developed by Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA). (From a press release on May 22, 2014)

Investment in US

-In 2014, the Company marked the production of its 250,000th DD Series engine less than seven years after introducing its Detroit DD15 engine. The DD Series engines also include the Detroit DD13, Detroit DD15 TC, and Detroit DD16 engines. All Detroit engines are manufactured at the Detroit headquarters in Redford, Michigan, USA. Since its opening in 1938, Detroit has built more than five million engines at the three million-square-foot plant. Over the past 10 years, parent company Daimler Trucks North America has invested more than USD 750 million dollars in the facility. (From a press release on June 25, 2014)