Freightliner has opened orders for its Fifth Generation Cascadia trucks equipped with the Cummins X15N engine.
The announcement, made at ACT Expo in Anaheim, Calif., comes eight months after Cummins began full production of the X15N. It is part of its HELM engine platforms, designed to run on specific fuel types such as natural gas, diesel, or hydrogen.
Production of the Fifth Generation Freightliner Cascadia powered by the X15N will begin in the summer of 2025. It will be available for the 126-inch bumper-to-back-of-cab (BBC) Cascadia in both sleeper and day cab configurations, with optional frame drilling prep configurations for frame-mounted and back-of-cab-mounted CNG fuel tanks.
“Natural gas trucks are becoming increasingly important for on-highway freight transportation,” said Greg Treinen, vice-president of on-highway market development at Daimler Truck North America (DTNA), in a news release.
“The Cummins X15N is the first natural gas engine purpose-designed with the power and torque needed for over-the-road customers. As we continue to offer innovative solutions, we’re proud to include this engine as a powertrain option for the Fifth Generation Freightliner Cascadia, meeting the needs of both our existing and new natural gas customers with a reliable, sustainable solution for their evolving demands.”
The X15N delivers a 10% fuel economy improvement over Cummins’ previous 12-liter natural gas engine in similar duty cycles, and it is certified at 50 mg NOx, according to DTNA. Designed specifically for natural gas, it offers performance, durability, and power comparable to diesel engines, aimed at heavy-duty and vocational applications while helping fleets lower their carbon footprint. The X15N can also be paired with other Cummins powertrain components to reduce emissions even more.
“The X15N opens up natural gas to a new customer base and many existing natural gas customers are enjoying the additional power and torque available in the new big bore engine,” said Lyndon Jones, vice-president of engine business North American sales and customer support at Cummins. “The offering with Freightliner will bring more choice to the market as additional fleets look to add natural gas to their lineups.”
The truck and the Cummins X15N engine are on display at Daimler Truck North America’s booth at ACT Expo.
