The start of production of the DT12 automated manual transmission for the North American truck market has begun. The DT12 will be available exclusively in the Freightliner Cascadia equipped with a Detroit DD15 engine. Production of the transmission will take place until 2015 at Daimler’s Gaggenau, Germany powertrain facility, at which time manufacturing will be transferred to the Detroit brand headquarters in Redford, Michigan. Assembly of DT12 into the Freightliner Cascadia is expected to begin in early May 6 at the Cleveland, North Carolina Freightliner Truck Manufacturing Plant.
The 12-speed DT12 accommodates all DD15 engine ratings from 455 to 505 HP with a 1550–1750 lb/ft torque input. Additional versions of the transmission for Detroit DD13 and DD16 engines will be released in late 2013 and 2014. The transmission is part of the line of Detroit powertrain components that also includes engines and axles.
The DT12 combines the ease of an automatic with the efficiency of a manual transmission, the company notes, and enhances fuel economy. Features of the transmission include eCoast, skip shift, Active Driveline Protection and optional direct drive. The DT12 has three driving modes that drivers can select based on terrain and application.
“The Gaggenau facility is the lead plant for all Daimler transmissions globally, so launching our production in Germany allows us to leverage operational efficiencies and production standards,” said Dr. Frank Reintjes, Head of Global Powertrain, Procurement and Manufacturing Engineering, Daimler Trucks. “With the launch of the heavy-duty engine platform, we followed a similar process when transferring the production from Redford to Mannheim, Germany, benefitting from the experienced production force in North America.”
