The Supertruck II is one of 2022’s highly anticipated releases from Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA). Aiming to consolidate the knowledge it gained on Supertruck I, the company hopes its new prototype will demonstrate the effect emerging industry trends, such as departures from fossil fuel and integrated hybrid systems, are having on the form factor of its trucks.
During a Q&A with Derek Villeneuve, Advanced Vehicle Systems Manager and Principal Investigator for the Supertruck II project at DTNA, and Jeff Cotner, Chief Designer for the Supertruck II, Villeneuve told Automotive World that the prototype could influence the wider manufacturing group, while also providing an architecture that DTNA sub brands will use in their own models. However, with a diverging market and some increasingly competitive options from other manufacturers, where does the new Supertruck sit in an industry under increasing pressure to electrify?