Fully Automatic Transmissions for Airport Vehicles

Inherent benefits of Allison’s patented torque converter technology and full power shifts enhance the value of CNG-powered trucks and buses. New customers around the World agree

HANNOVER, GERMANY – Allison Transmission has been a leader in developing fully automatic transmissions for commercial duty vehicles for more than 60 years, engineering products for petrol, diesel and a growing number of CNG powered commercial vehicle applications. Today, customers globally are adding CNG-powered trucks and buses to their public transportation, environmental service, distribution and construction fleets to meet the increasing global demand for affordable, clean, efficient and quiet powertrain solutions.

“An Allison automatic transmission is an enabler for use with CNG engines in several commercial vehicle applications,” says Lawrence A. Love, Executive Director of Allison International Marketing. “Unlike a diesel engine, CNG engines have different operating characteristics and are not as responsive during launch. Allison torque converter technology aids the CNG engine during vehicle start-up by multiplying engine torque and smoothly delivering power to the drive wheels. As a result, with an Allison, the vehicle gets good performance and makes the most efficient use of fuel.”

“In addition, most CNG engines are not capable of using an exhaust brake or delivering the same level of engine braking capability as a diesel,” says Love. “However, the Allison transmission output retarder compensates for this by providing seamless auxiliary braking to improve overall vehicle braking capability and reduce service brake wear.”

The appeal of an alternative fuel source that burns 90 percent cleaner than diesel, and is also less costly, has convinced operators from Barcelona to Singapore in the past year to acquire Allison-equipped CNG vehicles. The inherent benefits of an Allison fully automatic transmission, including improved startability, more power to the wheels, and better engine response have caused them to specify Allison.

The Mercedes Benz Econic, on display in Allison’s stand at the 2010 IAA show in Hannover, Germany features an alternative fuel engine combined with an Allison transmission. In The Netherlands, 30 Allison-equipped Econic CNG tractors have been purchased by Simon Loos, a large distribution company which delivers food to supermarkets around and in Amsterdam. These Econics comply with noise regulations which allows them to operate in communities which otherwise could not be entered. Additionally, the Allison transmission makes the vehicles easy to drive in the heavy ‘stop and go’ traffic in Amsterdam.
 
As well, in Austria, Vienna Technical University, the Graz Energy Agency, Magna Steyr and the shipping company Frikus have been trialling a Mercedes Econic NGT as part of Magna Steyr’s plant supply operations. The team is evaluating the amount by which a natural gas-driven Econic NGT reduces noise and emissions of CO2 and pollutants compared to a conventional diesel-powered truck. The Econic NGT 1828 semi-truck has not only cut noise by half, it also reduced CO2 emissions by around 20 percent and nitrogen dioxide emissions by about 30 percent compared to diesel-powered vehicles. CO2 emissions were reduced thanks to the approximately 10 percent lower fuel consumption (26.5 kg of natural gas/100 km) compared to a diesel-powered truck.

In the past year, the city of Barcelona, Spain made a firm commitment to a sustainable future by launching into operation Spain’s largest ever order for CNG trucks. All of the 300 natural gas vehicles – which include IVECO, Mercedes, Dennis Eagle, IPV, Urba I and Urba II vehicles – are fitted with Allison transmissions and work for the environmental services department carrying out duties such as refuse collection and street cleaning. The public sector in Spain is increasingly opting for CNG vehicles due to their lower carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide emissions. Each of the four environmental service providers managing the city’s requirements chose Allison to reduce operating costs, improve fuel consumption and optimise service to the citizens of Barcelona.

In France, supermarket chain, Monoprix purchased 26 Renault and Stralis CNG trucks equipped with Allison automatic transmissions in a proactive move to cut pollution, increase productivity and meet forthcoming emissions legislation (Euro 6 standards, 2012). For inner city deliveries at all hours of the day and night, CNG power plus a fully automatic transmission makes for a quieter, cleaner truck that is respectful of its residents. Claude Samson, General Director of Samada, the logistics arm of Monoprix, has witnessed significant improvements. “We have 85 stores in and around Paris which need frequent and reliable deliveries of products. The Allison-equipped trucks outperform in terms of durability and efficiency.”

Eric Lamboley of Geodis Bourgey Montreuil (one of the transport partners) is equally satisfied: “CNG powered vehicles have a lower engine torque compared to diesel powered trucks. However, the Allison overcomes this challenge making the most of the power available. This is most apparent during acceleration from standstill, even on an incline.”

Earlier this year, Australia’s first ever order for a fleet of CNG refuse trucks – 23 Iveco 6×4 ACCOs complete with Allison 3500 Series transmissions – went into service. SITA Environmental Solutions (SITA), one of Australia's leading recycling and waste management companies, is one of a number of fleets in Australia trialling CNG solutions, reflecting a wider trend across a number of vocations within the country. “Allison Transmission has actively responded to this trend by engineering and applying our conventional fully automatic transmissions into CNG engine equipped vehicles,” says Robert Cavagnino, Allison Manager of Sales and Marketing for Australia & New Zealand. “We worked in conjunction with Iveco’s team to review the engineering to ensure the engine characteristics were optimal, and it was determined optimum startability would be maximised through torque converter selection and the final drive ratios, which were altered to 6.83 to 1.”

China’s CNG bus population is growing with approximately 2,500 Allison-equipped buses now serving the people of Beijing, Shijiazhuang, Chongqing, Chengdu, Erdos and Yinchuan. In Shijiazhuang, the number of express bus lines has expanded to include approximately 250 new CNG buses equipped with Allison transmissions. For Yu Xinquan, the Department Head of Technology and Chief Economist of the Shijiazhuang Public Transport Group, the transmissions had to be Allison. “Normally, the failure rate with a traditional city bus with a manual transmission is extremely high,” he says. “Products with lower quality require a repair every 20,000kms or 50,000 to 60,000kms at best for those with slightly better quality. The costs of replacement parts and maintenance, losses from a four-hour or even full day suspension as well as the cost to provide spare vehicles are enormous. Thus, we must choose durable transmissions." Road testing has shown that the introduction of the new CNG buses with Allison automatic transmissions has almost halved fuel consumption.

In the USA, where Allison has been at the forefront of natural gas-fuelled vehicles from the outset, the company has earned further significant new partnerships with OEMs to make its fully automatic transmissions available for a wide range of applications. Importantly, Allison is facilitating the introduction of its transmissions to new CNG fleets across the country. Freightliner Trucks has equipped its liquefied natural gas/compressed natural gas (LNG/CNG) Business Class M2-112 tractor, the LNG/CNG M2-112 straight truck, favoured by municipal and other vocational applications, and its MT45/55 step van with Allison for delivery applications.The Kenworth Truck Company will offer a variety of Allison transmissions for use with the ISL-G engine, and in school buses, the Blue Bird Corporation has equipped its large Type C conventional Vision school and activity buses using liquefied petroleum fuel with the Allison 2300 PTS model.

Allison continues to be specified by end-users in a variety of buses and trucks where there is the infrastructure to support them. New York City’s sanitation department has recently ordered 10 trucks with 20 more on the way. At San Diego International Airport, Hertz Rental Bus has taken delivery of 17 CNG replacement buses – half of its bus fleet – using the B300 transmission. This is in line with the practice of many other fleets in California where incentive funding is accelerating the replacement of old vehicles with newer, lower-emitting diesel or natural gas alternatives. In the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles alone, there are now more than 600 Allison-equipped clean air trucks.

Via McNeilus, the concrete truck producer, Allison has equipped 12 mixers to new customers in Oregon, Texas and California this year. The Star concrete mixers are equipped with a Cummins CNG engine and the 4500RDS, a configuration used on McNeilus’s demo truck with which it is targeting states with CNG infrastructure and an availability of regional, state and federal clean energy technology assistance funds.

CNG in India was first introduced on Delhi’s city buses in 1998, followed shortly by the conversion of all public city buses in Delhi from diesel to CNG. Since 2006, the urban modernisation programs undertaken across India have resulted in orders for several thousand city buses. While almost 6,000 low-floor and semi-low-floor buses have been ordered in the last 3 years by 15 cities, almost 5,000 are CNG powered city buses, which are serving the citizens of ten cities in India.

While CNG is firmly established in some countries, others are beginning trials of the environmentally-friendly technology. Sembcorp Industries, Singapore's largest waste management company, is starting a one-year field assessment of market acceptance, cost-effectiveness and customer satisfaction using a Mercedes-Benz Econic. The vehicle is an Econic NGT 2628 6 x 2/4 NLA, with three axles and a gross vehicle weight of 26 tonnes, a trailing axle and Allison transmission.

Russia is a growing market with the CNG bus population expanding in the cities of Moscow, Tol'yatti and Yakutsk. Allison has been working closely with OEM Liaz which produces CNG versions of its 12m, 12m semi-low floor and 18m articulated buses. Of the more than 360 Allison-equipped CNG buses in operation in the country, 300 are in Tol’yatti – home to a large proportion of Russia’s automotive production – alone.

As alternative fuel vehicles become more and more popular in various vocations around the World, Love concludes, “Allison fully automatic transmissions are enabling more customers to benefit from CNG and other alternative fuel technologies. Allison torque multiplication and powershifting technology offer improved startability, enhanced power to the wheels, and better engine response than a manual or automated manual transmission when combined with an alternative fuel engine. We at Allison are proud of this fact and are pleased that customers around the world are recognising the benefits of Allison as the ideal transmission for alternative fuel vehicles.”

About Allison Transmission, Inc.

Allison Transmission, Inc. (Allison) is the premier global provider of commercial duty automatic transmissions and hybrid propulsion systems. Allison products are specified by over 250 of the world’s leading vehicle manufacturers and are used in many market sectors including bus, refuse, fire, construction, distribution, military and specialty applications. Founded in 1915, the Allison business is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.A. and employs approximately 3,000 people. Regional headquarters with dedicated support staff are located in China, The Netherlands, Brazil, India and Japan. With a global presence in 80 countries, Allison has over 1,500 distributor and dealer locations. More information about Allison is available at www.allisontransmission.com.

Press Enquiries

Claire Dumbreck, Propel Technology, Bloxham Mill, Barford Road, Bloxham, Banbury, Oxfordshire, UK, OX15 4FF. +44 (0)1295 724130 / +44 (0) 7768 773857
claire@propel-technology.com

Miranda Jansen, Allison Transmission Europe B.V. Marketing Communications, Baanhoek 188, 3361GN Sliedrecht – The Netherlands , Tel: +31 78-6422 174, miranda.jansen@allisontransmission.com