Daimler Trucks North America will rebrand its Detroit Diesel brand of engines to help expand the scope of the products offered by the 73-year-old engine manufacturer and allow it to fully embrace alternate fuel and unconventional powertrain technologies in the future. DTNA acquired the Detroit Diesel brand in 2003.
Andreas Renschler, head of Daimler Trucks Division, told trucking journalists at a press conference on the eve of the American Trucking Associations meeting in Grapevine, Texas, that Detroit Diesel would be known as the new Detroit brand of powertrain products, with the formal name change taking place at an industry event early next year in Louisville, Ky.
Renschler said the name change, which will be specific for DTNA’s NAFTA region, in no way implies that DTNA is shying away from diesel engine technology. However, with a variety of alternate truck fuel technologies on the horizon and gaining steam, it made sense to expand the scope of the brand now.
Renschler added that the name change would afford Detroit the opportunity to offer a wider range of truck components in the future, such as axles or transmissions, as DTNA continues its efforts to develop highly optimized vertically-integrated powertrain systems.
