Freightliner to Offer Cummins X15N Natural Gas Engine

Freightliner is working with Cummins to offer the new Cummins X15N natural gas engine in its heavy-duty Freightliner Cascadia trucks.

The X15N is the first natural gas engine designed specifically for heavy-duty and on-highway truck applications, Cummins said, with 400 to 500 hp and 1,450 to 1,850 lb-ft of torque.

“We have a number of customers that continue to run natural gas trucks today, and our goal is to provide those customers with the products, like the X15N, they need to operate successfully for their business,” said Greg Treinen, vice president, on-highway market development, Daimler Truck North America. “The new X15N natural gas engine option for our Freightliner Cascadias complements our portfolio of solutions that help our customers run their fleets efficiently and sustainably.”

Freightliner will offer the new X15N in the Cascadia 126-inch BBC, in both sleeper and day cab configurations. Production is targeted to begin in 2025.

“Our end-user customers are looking for ways to achieve their sustainability goals, and the X15N is essential to our commitment to help customers reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and improve NOx,” said José Samperio, vice president and general manager, North America On-Highway, Cummins.

“The X15N, an industry-first big bore natural gas powertrain with power and torque curves almost identical to diesel, will help long-haul fleets see improved economic and environmental performance.”

When operating on renewable natural gas, also known as RNG or biomethane, the X15N engine can significantly reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions of heavy-duty trucks, reported Freightliner. This can range from a 90% reduction to carbon neutral, or even carbon negative, depending on the bio-source and waste feedstock used to produce the fuel. 

The new X15N achieves lower NOx levels than the 2024 EPA and California Air Resources Board standards.

The X15N delivers 1,850 lb-ft. of peak torque output, which Freightliner said will allow for optimum performance when paired with the Eaton Cummins Endurant HD N Transmission and the availability of optimized EX ratings.