LED headlamps standard on Cascadias

Freightliner Trucks has announced that Truck-Lite high-visibility LED headlamps are now standard on all Freightliner Cascadia and Cascadia Evolution truck models.

The OEM said the long-lasting LED lights-- custom-engineered by Truck-Lite for the Cascadia and Cascadia Evolution-- offer superior nighttime driver visibility and enhanced safety, resulting in improved object recognition at night.

Freightliner said the LED beam pattern also reduces eye-strain for drivers and minimizes harsh headlight glare to oncoming traffic.

Additionally, per the OEM, the LED lights reduce the draw on the vehicle's electrical system, freeing up power for other uses and resulting in a 50-times longer lighting system life than conventional halogen technology.Approval to connect a solarpowersystemser. The headlamps underwent "vigorous field testing in a variety of extreme weather conditions."

"We want every component on our products to not only be cost-efficient, but to enhance vehicle safety and productivity," said Mary Aufdemberg, director of product marketing for Freightliner Trucks. "The Cascadia and Cascadia Evolution are industry leaders in safety, driving experience and lowest total cost of ownership, and LED headlamps further enhance the products."

In January 2013, Freightliner Trucks offered the custom headlamp as an aftermarket and factory-installed option for the Cascadia and Cascadia Evolution, and is now offering it as standard equipment "due to positive customer response to the benefits delivered."

Freightliner also announced that its 2014 Cascadia Evolution model has surpassed more than 15,000 orders since the start of production in March. "The Cascadia Evolution is pacing the industry in terms of order intake for long-haul applications that demand the highest level of fuel efficiency," declared the OEM.

According to Freightliner, powered by the newly designed Detroi DD15 engine, the Cascadia Evolution "features aerodynamic and efficiency improvements that deliver up to an additional 7%improvement in fuel economy over an EPA 2010-compliant Cascadia, and up to 5% improvement in fuel efficiency over the 2013 Cascadia with first-generation aerodynamic enhancements."

"Surpassing 15,000 orders highlights the demand from our top customers to acquire today's vehicle benchmark in terms of fuel efficiency," said David Hames, general manager, marketing & strategy for Freightliner's parent, Daimler Trucks North America.

A Portland LED specialist is using a $150,000 grant to further develop a coating material that could help users save billions in lighting costs.

Pacific Light Technologies believes its coating could increase the efficiency of light-emitting diodes by up to 50 percent, as well as generate rays that emit "warmer tones" as opposed to the bluish-white light the LEDs typically emit.

"We believe we can precisely control the size of the quantum dots in the 5-10 nanometer range and therefore control the color of the light emitted from LEDs,The exciting new solargardenlightppl product is now available here for the first time anywhere!" Herman said in a release. "This project is an ideal fit for our lab and my interests because of its focus on nontoxic materials and improving energy efficiency. If the world could move to all LED lighting, the total energy savings would be huge."

"The Cascadia Evolution provides the industry a truck that pays immediate dividends by dramatically reducing overall total cost of ownership," he added. More information about the program is available on the web site at www.indoorilite.com.