Whelp… 2024 is winding down. And it was an interesting year from a heavy-truck perspective.

The North American trucking industry is still slogging along toward the Phase 3 Greenhouse Gas Emissions regulations set to wallop us in 2027.

Designing, validating and putting a brand-new heavy truck into production is a lengthy process. And truck and engine makers will understandably want to have some lead time heading into a regulatory milestone as momentous as 2027 will be. 

So heading into the new year last January, it seemed reasonable to assume that we’d start seeing some new trucks and engines debut in 2024.

And North American truck OEMs didn’t disappoint.

Here, in chronological order, is a look back at the year that just was, highlighting new trucks that were launched – or soon will be.

On the Streets of Vegas Driving a Nikola Tre

HDT’s first test-drive of the year came at CES 2024 (formerly the Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas in January.

It was my first opportunity to climb behind the wheel of a Nikola heavy truck – and a fuel cell battery-electric model at that.

Verdict: The Nikola Tre is a smart, capable design that proves hydrogen fuel powertrain technology is more than capable of handling heavy truck applications in heavy city driving conditions.

Meet the New Volvo VNL

Volvo Trucks North America made a splash in February 2024 with the surprise of the first new Class 8 diesel truck heading into 2027: The Swedish OEM’s all-new VNL model.

The truck is a major statement from Volvo. It features all new lines and styling that give it a tough, two-fisted, thoroughly America swagger. 

And all that is combined with unmatched safety technology, cutting-edge technology and an unrelenting focus on driver comfort and productivity.

Read our in-depth look at the new truck:

Cummins' Billion Dollar Engine

Cummins has been on something of a hot streak lately in pretty much trucking segment you can think of.

Of late, Columbus, Indiana-based power generation OE has been garnering headlines with its natural gas engines and BEV truck powertrain technologies. But it made a forceful endorsement to future diesel power in trucking with the launch of its next-generation, 2027 X15 engine in March.

The New X15 is the first engine launched on the company’s new HELM platform and is completely fully aligned with U.S. EPA and CARB 2027 emissions regulations.

In August, Cummins hosted an in-depth briefing on its billion-dollar new engine. And HDT was there.

Rush Truck Centers Gives Away Last-Ever Peterbilt Model 389

This year-end roundup is about new engines and new trucks. However, there was one notable truck departure in 2024. And we would be remiss not to mention it, as Peterbilt retired the Model 389 and introduced its replacement, the Model 589.

Also in March, Rush Truck Centers announced that it had purchased the last-ever Model 389 conventional Peterbilt would ever build. 

Moreover, Rush gave the truck away in a sweepstakes that would benefit the Wounded Warrior Project, which aids and supports U.S. combat veterans injured in the line of duty.

Rizon Electric Truck Does Daimler Proud

Daimler Truck officially passed its medium-duty EV torch from Mitsubishi Fuso to its new Rizon division with the launch of the M-Seres electric trucks in May.

The Class 4-5 trucks are a 100% BEV lineup. And contributing editor Jim Park found innovation everywhere he looked during his inspection and test-drive of the new truck.

Rizon currently offers three truck models: The e18L, e16L, and the e16M. These models are offered in “versatile” mix of configurations and options suitable to each customer’s unique requirements to optimize day-to-day operations and productivity.

Hino and Hexagon Purus Unveil Class 8 Electric Truck

The hugely influential Advanced Clean Transportation Expo (ACT Expo) opened in Las Vegas in May.

And, to no one’s surprise, the show saw a bevy of new zero-emission truck launches.

One of the first was an all-new Class 8 model from Hino and Hexagon Purus. 

Dubbed the Tern, after the arctic seabird, the truck is designed for routes under 200 miles a day where a tight turning radius and a 4x3 chassis are operational pluses.

Kenworth’s Insane Super Truck2

You can’t buy one. But Kenworth took advantage of ACT Expo to showcase the wildest-looking SuperTruck yet.

The truck features wildly futuristic styling and in-cab features. And oh yeah – it apparently can log 13 mpg in hauling applications without breaking a sweat.

Kenworth's SuperTruck 2 was developed over a six-year period. The one-off truck is part of a collaboration with the Department of Energy’s SuperTruck program. The goal of the program is to challenge truck OEMs to improve freight efficiency using a diesel engine as the main power source.

Lion Electric’s All-New Class 8 Electric Tractor

Canadian OEM Lion Electric took advantage of the crowds at ACT Expo to launch its new Class 8, all-electric tractor.

According to Nic Bruni, senior vice president, Lion Electric, the new truck features the highest gross combination weight rating (GCWR) in the EV truck sector, at 127,000 lbs.

The Lion8 is the first of Lion Electric’s vehicles to use its new Heavy-Duty battery packs. These batteries feature a capacity of up to 630 kWh. This provides the Lion8 with a daily range of up to 275 miles. Charging to 80% SOC (state of charge) at max power can be accomplished in approximately 1.5 hours.

Windrose Trucks Sets its Sights on North America

Another new electric OEM HDT discovered at ACT Expo is Windrose Trucks. 

This Chinese OEM is manufacturing a “global chassis,” center-steer electric truck that it expects to sell in the U.S. for around $250,000 beginning in 2025.

Mack’s MD Gets an All-New Cab

In August, Mack announced major ergonomic and safety upgrades to its MD electric- and diesel-powered medium-duty truck line.

In essence, Mack engineers have grafted the Class 8 Anthem cab onto the MD’s chassis.

And the results, which HDT experienced first-hand during an October test drive, are truly impressive.

International Revamps HV 

In September, International announced it was ending decades of confusion by retiring its Navistar name. The OEM also unveiled extensive new upgrades for its Class 6-7 heavy vocational HV series trucks.

The new trucks are now available with International’s S13 integrated powertrain. 

They also feature a new Dual-Stage Aftertreatment system. This system does away with heavy and expensive EGR coolers. It works by simply injecting a first dose of DEF just downstream of the turbo and a second dose inside the aftertreatment container to reduce soot and particular matter in diesel exhaust emissions.

Freightliner Rolls out Fifth Generation Cascadia

There aren’t many stages in North American trucking bigger than the American Trucking Associations' Management Conference. Which is why Freightliner chose to use that show to pull back the curtain on its new, fifth-generation Cascadia Class 8 tractor.

With over 1 million Cascadias on the road, Freightliner was careful not to upset the apple cart with its best-selling truck design. 

Instead, its engineers focused on further refining the truck’s aerodynamic profile, boosting fuel efficiency. 

They also added a new suite of cutting-edge safety features to help make fleets and drivers safer and more efficient.