PORTLAND, OR - The United States Department of Energy (DOE) announced its selection of 25 cost-share projects under the Clean Cities program that will be funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) will participate in at least seven program awards representing $32.9 million in funding to be applied toward the purchase and support of 638 hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles by several leading national fleet operators. Daimler's range of participation and deployment of vehicle technologies is expected to increase as selected Clean Cities programs, including those involving ports, municipal and school bus fleets, use funds toward vehicle purchases.

Working with its customers and dealers, DTNA helped to spearhead the submittal of these winning applications, which represent nearly $100 million in project value including over $84 million in vehicle costs and approximately $14 million in alternative fuel refueling infrastructure across the United States.

Funding for the projects was awarded based on applications submitted in partnership with Clean Cities Coalitions and directed to the DOE's "Clean Cities Petroleum Reduction Technologies Projects for the Transportation Sector Funding Opportunity." The ARRA and DOE Clean Cities funding encourages fleet adoption of clean, fuel-efficient diesel and alternative energy technologies that will stimulate the economy, create "green" jobs, reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil and generate near-zero levels of emissions.

The projects call for the deployment of multiple commercially available advanced and alternative fuel products offered by the company under its Freightliner and Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation (FCCC) lines, including: hybrid electric, hybrid hydraulic, compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquid natural gas (LNG) trucks and tractors.

The DOE funding will be used to support the manufacture and sale of the following truck models:

• Freightliner Business Class M2e 106 hybrid electric trucks
  and tractors

• Freightliner Business Class M2 112 LNG tractors

• Freightliner Business Class M2 112 CNG trucks and tractors

• Freightliner Custom Chassis hybrid electric walk-in vans

• Freightliner Custom Chassis hydraulic hybrid walk-in vans

• Freightliner Custom Chassis CNG walk-in vans

U.S. DOE support for DTNA customers includes funding for what will result in some of the nation's single largest heavy-duty alternative fuel deployment efforts to date.

The manufacture and sale of these trucks will support North American jobs. Freightliner Business Class M2e hybrid electric and M2 CNG and LNG vehicles are built in Mt. Holly, NC. Freightliner Custom Chassis hybrid electric and hydraulic hybrid walk-in van chassis are built in Gaffney, SC. Eaton hybrid components are manufactured in North Carolina and Parker Hannifin hydraulic components are manufactured at facilities throughout the United States.

Earlier this year, Freightliner introduced its first natural gas-powered truck, the Freightliner Business Class M2 112 NG, which is ideal for port operations, natural gas utilities, and municipalities. The new natural gas trucks with next-generation natural gas powertrains have more power and burn cleaner.