Freightliner Cascadia Evolution. Click to enlarge.

The 2014 production model Cascadia Evolution already has some of the most advanced achievements in the industry designed to improve airflow and aerodynamics. The optimally spec’d Cascadia Evolution was equipped with fuel squeezing options, including the Detroit DT12 automated manual transmission with wide-base tires, a 6x2 drivetrain configuration, and Daimler-designed aerodynamic trailer enhancements which were included to represent the current state of trailer aerodynamics available in the aftermarket.

The optimally spec’d Cascadia Evolution was tested at the Continental Proving Grounds in Uvalde, Texas. There, the truck traveled the 8.5-mile closed-course track for 1,000 miles nonstop at an average speed of 60 mph, with a GCW of 76,000 lbs. Fuel consumption and distance traveled were measured at the end of the demonstration by Automotive Testing and Development Services (ATDS), an independent, third-party auditor using high-accuracy fuel flow meters.

The closed-track demonstration enabled us to eliminate interfering elements of a typical on-highway fuel economy test such as traffic, construction and speed variations. The use of a closed test track allows us to demonstrate pure fuel economy potential with ambient weather conditions being the only uncontrollable factor.

—Al Pearson, chief engineer, Product Validation Engineering for Daimler Trucks North America

On the Evolution of Efficiency cross-country tour, which ran 2,400 miles from San Diego, CA., to Gastonia, NC., the optimally spec’d Cascadia Evolution achieved 9.31 miles per gallon and was operated at a GCW of 76,000 lbs. at a cruise speed of 62 miles per hour. Fuel consumption and distance traveled were again documented by ATDS.

The tour—a cross-country, side-by-side comparison of an EPA 2010-compliant Freightliner Cascadia and the new 2014 Cascadia Evolution—revealed that the Cascadia Evolution delivers up to 7% in fuel savings over a similarly spec’d EPA 2010 Cascadia.