Transport for London (TfL) is trialling 10 Optare Tempo buses fitted with a unique hybrid propulsion system as part of an extensive study into the performance of different hybrid systems. The roll-out of these 10 new GM-Allison-equipped buses will contribute to the Mayor’s target of a 60 per cent reduction in emissions across London by 2025.

The Innovative GM-Allison Hybrid E^P-System is a patented ‘two mode’ parallel hybrid technology, which combines direct power from an electronically controlled diesel engine with electric power from an energy storage system and is already delivering significant fuel saving benefits, lower emissions, and raising vehicle performance for bus fleets over 115 cities worldwide.

Five of the GM-Allison-equipped buses are with the East London Bus Group where they will carry passengers on the 276 route between Newham General Hospital and Stoke Newington. Metroline will operate a further five on the E8 route between Ealing Broadway and Brentford.

The complete GM-Allison E^p40/50 systems consists of the E^v Drive^TM module – which serves as the vehicle transmission –, the Dual Power Inverter Module (DPIM), the Energy Storage System (ESS) – based on advanced Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries –, two electronic control modules and the electronic driver interface with integrated display.

This unique hybrid architecture combines the efficiency of a direct mechanical connection between engine and drive train of the parallel hybrid system with the advantages in engine management typical of serial hybrid design.

The real invention is the E^V Drive^TM module which is designed with a concentric arrangement of gearing – planetary gear sets – and two electric machines. This module combines (torque blend) electrical machine power with engine power. Thanks to the unique electrical and mechanical integration, the E^V Drive^TM does not have fixed gear ratios as does a typical transmission, but its gear, speed and torque ratios are infinitely and continuously variable.

This module forms a Hybrid Electrically Variable Transmission (HEVT). An Electrically Variable Transmission has the potential to combine the continuous control and urban drive cycle efficiency of the series hybrid with the high power capability and high efficiency of the parallel hybrid.

From stationary, the electrical starter motor draws power from the battery, mounted on the roof of the bus, to set the vehicle smoothly and almost silently into motion. Then as the vehicle picks up speed, the 250 hp diesel engine comes into action, offering a direct power supply to the drivetrain as required and eventually feeding the battery with additional power. An automatic controller ensures that the battery is maintained at optimum charge. At cruising speed, the battery cuts out altogether and operates like a conventional drivetrain.

This is why greatest benefits of the technology are experienced in lower speed, start-stop operations such as city buses.

The key contributor to hybrid efficiency is the regenerative braking system; the recapture of energy normally lost during braking. When the driver brakes to slow the vehicle, the kinetic energy that is normally dissipated in the brakes as heat is instead transferred back into usable electric energy by an electric motor which, operating in reverse, acts as a generator and charges the battery. It is estimated that 40 percent of the energy used to accelerate a bus with the GM Allison two-mode hybrid system comes from the energy saved during regenerative braking.

Allison estimates that since its system was introduced in 2003, it has contributed to the saving of over 25 million litres of fuel and the elimination of more than 65,000 metric tonnes of CO². It has been sold into more than 2,200 buses and coaches worldwide and covered over 200 million kms in revenue service.

Choosing the right vehicle to protect, repair and maintain the UK’s busy road networks is a tough brief, requiring adherence to stringent duty of care laws and maximum efficiency on behalf of the tax payer. This special case highlights how the use of fully automatic transmissions is helping two major fleet operators keep the road infrastructure safe and operational, around the clock.

Road maintenance duties are extremely diverse. The truck fleets run by local authorities, The Highways Agency and their contractors, serve motorists and local communities in various ways, from patrolling the motorways heavily laden with contingency emergency equipment, to driving in posts for safety barriers and filling in potholes along country lanes, to provide just a few examples.  In assessing how the myriad of needs can be met as safely and efficiently as possible, there is a rigorous review of duty cycles to make, involving months of research by fleet managers and procurement teams. With no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach available, it should come as some comfort to this market that Allison’s fully automatic gearbox is trusted across many different vehicle applications.  Managers and crews from two organisations – The Highways Agency and Stirling county council – have been running vehicles equipped with Allison fully automatic transmissions following new vehicle acquisitions last year, and share their stories.

Highways Agency’s Mercedes Econics keep the North West moving
Supporting an incident on one of the nation’s largest, busiest and increasingly congested road networks – the 310 miles of motorway and trunk road carriageway (and over 2500 structures) throughout Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Merseyside and southern parts of Lancashire – requires reliability, ease of use and high levels of safety. To design a new Incident Support Unit (ISU) for the Highways Agency and the emergency services, a major joint venture, Aone+, has been created, combining the skills of three leading performers in the market; Halcrow Group, Colas, and Costain Group.

The ISU has selected 25 Allison-equipped Mercedes Econics to deliver an enhanced on-call emergency service, typically involving rapid response to incident management tasks such as setting up lane closures so that spillages or debris left on the carriageway are cleared safely.

Low Speed Manoeuvrability
The Econics’ MB – OM906LA engine (providing 280 BHP and 1100Nm of torque) is complimented by Allison’s 6-Speed 3000 Series automatic transmission, complete with retarder. The transmission transfers engine power smoothly and efficiently with very little loss even in constant stop-go traffic. “Allison’s fully automatic transmission offers inch-perfect movement at an incident scene allowing the driver to keep both hands on the wheel for increased control. Because of the stop-start nature of our work, automatics are also ideal when requiring crawler gears,” adds Purfield.
The Allison transmission allows the drivers to keep both hands on the wheel, and incorporates Adaptive Controls, which adjust shift points based on drivers’ behaviour, load, and operating conditions.  The Adaptive Controls ensure optimum shift points are achieved, and when combined with smooth powershifting, strain through the drivetrain is minimised to offer increased reliability. “The net result is that the controls protect the powertrain by keeping the truck working with excellent drivability. Not only is the maintenance team happy, but also the ISU responders like using the transmission too,” adds Purfield.

Economical in the long term
Instead of servicing with traditional automatic transmission fluids at 12,000 miles, Purfield will evaluate Allison’s TranSynd™ transmission fluid, which enables longer intervals at a reduced cost.
With TranSynd™, gearbox oil changes are undertaken at 150,000 miles, 4,000 hours or 48 months (whichever occurs first) and new filters at 75,000 miles, 3,000 hours or 36 months (whichever occurs first). “Such attention to detail with the transmission oil will help us reduce downtime in the fleet,” adds Purfield.
Thus far, there have been no issues or problems with reliability. "This is a safety critical choice. Virtues such as ease of use and reliability with an Allison automatic are welcome by-products,” continues Purfield.

A drive solution to keep Stirling Council’s multiple bodies on the move
When Stirling Council’s Environmental Services upgraded its road maintenance fleet last year, it looked to the Allison transmission to address two main issues: significant driver effort and clutch wear associated with the stop-start conditions involved in gulley-emptying, and the ability to power jet-patching and gritting operations whilst on the move. 

Sore feet down the drain
Like any local authority, Stirling Council has to undertake the emptying of gulleys – around 3,500 of them in this case – which it does via a new Volvo FE240, permanently configured with a suction tank for this function. “Driving the vehicle up to 200 operations a day is the full time job of one driver,” explains John Jeffress, fleet coordinator for Stirling Council. “Sometimes there is just a 30metre crawl between drains, and he has to do this over and over again. The fully automatic option requires much less effort in an already repetitive task, and in what would otherwise be incredibly demanding on his clutch foot. Our experience is that this is much easier on the clutch too.”

The right gears for a lean vehicle specification
The more noteworthy vehicles in the fleet, however, are two DAF LF 55s, one of which switches between three demountable bodies for tipping, gritting and jet-patching. The chassis are also fitted with snowplough attachment brackets. Allison and its Power Take-Off (PTO) capability are one of the key enablers of this highly flexible specification which sees the council take on three functions via one, super-efficient multipurpose vehicle. Says Jeffress: “We believe we have the first truck in the UK with a demountable Velocity jet-patcher for filling in potholes. Combined with the other two bodies, we can achieve very high vehicle utilisation and have eliminated the need to purchase another dedicated truck.”

The DAF spends most of its day in jet-patching mode and then after a 15 to 20 minute changeover at the Environmental Service’s yard in the late afternoon, it transforms into a gritter, ready to prepare for icy roads at night. “The Allison transmission is central to making this multi-body approach work, with its PTO allowing us to power the hydraulics for jet-patching and gritting, while the truck is on the go,” continues Jeffress. “Hydraulic power is selected for each function via a chassis-mounted remote control diverter valve. This saves us money on additional sandwich PTOs and their maintenance.  Allison transmissions have always proved reliable for us, requiring little maintenance and eliminating costly clutch repairs.”

“At first, the Allison transmission appears to be a luxury, but when you realise the impact it is having on driver fatigue, especially the repeated crawling backwards and forwards involved in jet-patching, and the money you save, you realise it is entirely the right thing to do.”   

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 2,700 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.

A fleet of 26 CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) trucks equipped with Allison’s automatic transmission is operating in Paris in a proactive move to cut pollution and increase productivity. The French supermarket chain, Monoprix, has run the vehicles since April 2008, as part of its commitment to meet forthcoming emissions legislation (Euro 6 standards, 2012).
The fleet of CNG trucks is operated on behalf of Samada (for Monoprix) by two transport partners: GT Location and Geodis Bourgey Montreuil. Of the 26 trucks, GT Location operates 10 (two Renault and eight Iveco trucks) and Geodis BM runs 16 (14 Renault trucks and two Iveco trucks).
Claude Samson, general director of Samada, the logistics arm of Monoprix, has witnessed significant improvements with the new vehicles. “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.”

For the environment
CNG vehicles produce lower carbon dioxide and nitrous gas emissions than diesel powered vehicles. With an automatic, fuel efficiency is improved, especially in heavy traffic conditions requiring frequent stops and starts. Noise pollution can be a significant problem for inner city residents. However, noise pollution can be improved by Allison’s helical gears which help minimise vehicle noise.

Renault Trucks PVI: “Allison transmission – a natural option”
The CNG trucks were supplied by Renault and comprise four 4×2 Midlum 230.16 CNG (payload of 16 tonnes) and fourteen Premium Distribution 280.26 CNG (payload of 26 tonnes) with two or three axles. PVI, a subsidiary of Ponticelli and partner of Renault, designs and manufactures the trucks.
“An Allison fully automatic transmission was the natural option for us,” says Epvre Delquié, sales director of PVI. “We have found the transmission is perfectly adapted to city driving. In the last ten years we have used Allison equipped trucks for refuse collection, the ease and comfort is unrivalled.”
All the Monoprix vehicles are equipped with the six speed Allison 3200 Series. Delquié highlights the advantages such a transmission can offer a driver: “Gear changes are smooth and independent of the driver, which means they can pay more attention to traffic. We have found there are few products that can beat Allison’s smooth power delivery.”
An integrated retarder helps service brake wear and keeps maintenance costs low– a benefit PVI appreciates: “Maintenance costs are lower than those for a manual transmission. With a suitable transmission fluid, oil changes are every forty-eight months or 240,000 km.”

Iveco: “Allison transmission reduces fuel consumption”
According to Stéphan Loser, Iveco’s product design and constructor relations manager, fuel consumption is better too: “Allison transmission reduces fuel usage by avoiding over revving the engine.”
One of the first manufacturers to embrace CNG, the Fiat Group offers the Stralis CNG – available in 18 and 26 tonnes with the option of either a two or three axle configuration. The trucks purchased by one of Samada’s partners, GT Location, are 6×2 refrigerated long trucks (8.7m) specification 260 S 27 PS-CNG. They are equipped with a 270 horsepower Cursor 8 engine and 3200 Series transmission. Once again, particular attention has been given to noise reduction. The drivers’ cabin is fitted with a protective honeycomb layer that covers the floor and back doors and refrigerated section.
Jean-Luc Rodriguez, GT Location’s technical director believes that the commitment to overall reduced emissions has been fulfilled. “These trucks have a more positive impact on the environment. Allison’s automatic transmission can reduce fuel consumption.”

Geodis BM: "The Allison transmission compensates for lower engine power"
Samada’s other logistics partner; Geodis Bourgey Montreuil is also delighted. “CNG powered vehicles have a lower engine torque compared to diesel powered trucks.” Says Eric Lamboley, “However, the Allison overcomes this making the most of the power available. This is most apparent during acceleration from standstill, even on an incline.”

Cyrille Campos, driver: "Gear changes are smooth and instinctive"
In a Stralis CNG truck, Cyrille Campos cruises the streets of inner-city Paris for GT Location and has done for the past four months. Campos must deliver to three or four Monoprix stores a day, he appreciates the ease and smooth drive an automatic transmission can offer:
"Gear shifts were sometimes difficult in other trucks I have driven, but this transmission is smooth and instinctive. Even in the centre of Paris, where heavy traffic requires frequent stops and starts, gear changes remain smooth. I feel comfortable and calm in the rush hour chaos.”

Saving money
Using an Allison means engine downsizing is possible together with its advantages in areas such as capital costs and vehicle maintenance. Alexis Lalanne, market developer for Allison France agrees: "With an Allison transmission, gear changes are automatic, without loss of torque. This means all the available power of the vehicle can be used. The energy delivered is superior to a manual or automated-manual transmission. In addition, the return on investment of an automatic Allison transmission is largely compensated during the vehicle’s life cycle."
Both Samada and Geodis Bourgey Montreuil are keen to expand the fleet programme. “We intend to explore CNG technology further with our clients. Presently we are in talks with other users in the distribution industry,” says Samson. “We intend to replace the older diesel trucks with the newer automatic CNG ones to keep our operating costs low,” adds Lamboley.

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 3,300 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.

The Chief Fire Officers’ Association’s Apprentice of the Year award has been handed over to Liam Russell of the West Midlands Fire Service at a prize-giving at the region’s transport engineering workshop. Allison Transmission sponsors the award – open to apprentices at all fire services nationally – in recognition of the importance of workshop apprentice schemes to training for the repair and maintenance of emergency vehicles.
Allison transmissions are commonly found in fire and emergency vehicles, delivering impressive performance and safety.  “It is imperative that fire services’ trucks are maintained and repaired correctly to allow the vehicles to operate effectively and safely in critical and sometimes life saving situations. That is why we support and promote apprentices’ development by sponsoring this award,” says Allison UK’s area manager Riccardo Sardelli. 

The occasion marks a 35 year-long relationship between the West Midlands Fire Service and Allison. “We choose Allison today for the same reason we chose them back in 1974: fully automatic gearboxes allow our fire-fighters to keep two hands on the wheel, giving them more control of the vehicle,” says John Brown, Assistant Chief Fire Officer for the West Midlands Fire Service. “As trucks have developed over the years, Allison has become more and more relevant to our needs, particularly in safety, helping us to reduce emissions and keeping as many of our vehicles as possible out on the roads.”

Liam Russell, 19, from Willenhall, West Midlands, received £250 Snap-on tools vouchers and an invitation to attend a 3-day Allison Transmission training course at the company’s European Headquarters in The Netherlands.  He studies at Walsall Technical College, where he is more than halfway through a four year light and heavyweight apprenticeship scheme.  Liam won the award based on his performance at college and the progress made in developing practical skills in the workplace at the West Midlands Fire Service transport engineering workshop.

“This award is a big leg-up in my career in the motor vehicle trade, fulfilling a dream I’ve had since I was a kid,” says Russell. “I’ve worked a lot with the Allison transmissions but never to the level of detail this training course will offer. It will be great to get a deeper understanding for the future.”  

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 3,300 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.

CHENNAI, INDIA, January 28 – Allison Transmission, Inc., the world’s leading supplier of commercial duty fully automatic transmissions and hybrid propulsion systems, broke ground today on a new India facility designed to meet the growing global demand for Allison automatic transmissions. 

Once construction of the more than 203,000-square-foot manufacturing plant is completed, which is expected to occur in early 2010, it will also serve as the Allison Transmission India Pvt. Ltd. regional headquarters with executive, marketing, and sales offices.  In addition, the facilities are designed for warehousing and customisation.

“We believe it is important to strengthen our local presence in India to support our growing in-country operations,” said Allison Transmission, Inc. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Lawrence E. Dewey. “I am extremely proud of the milestone this groundbreaking represents, and thankful to the Tamil Nadu government for its enthusiastic support.”

India is an important market for Allison Transmission.  It is one of the world’s largest economies and a global supplier of commercial vehicles. Allison’s investment in India comes at a time when global demand for the company’s fully automatic transmissions continues to increase.

“We conducted an extensive and lengthy search before we settled on an area in which to build our India facility,” said Ram Amarnath, Managing Director of Allison Transmission India Pvt. Ltd.  “And we found the right mix of location and a talented, world class employment pool in Chennai.”

Key local management staff in the areas of operations, purchasing, human resources and sales personnel are already in place. Other employees will join the team later this year. And when the new facility is completed, more than 300 employees will be added to the Allison Transmission India Pvt. Ltd’s payroll.

As with all its operations — whether in North America, Latin America, Europe, or Asia — delivering on the Allison Brand Promise of an automatic experience with an unrivalled combination of quality, reliability, vocational value, and customer service is of paramount importance. 

“We have already realised tremendous growth opportunities for our products in the Indian market,” said Michael G. Headly, Vice President of International Marketing, Sales & Service of Allison Transmission, Inc.  “We see an industry that is developing, expanding and improving products internationally. Indian OEM’s are important global players whose products are avidly sought after, and it is important for Allison to be aligned with these manufacturers as they expand their business operations.”

Allison’s association with India goes back more than 40 years when it began serving the country’s mining and oil field industries. In 2007, Allison established permanent offices in India, operating under the name of Allison Transmission India Pvt. Ltd. to realise growth opportunities in the on-highway market. In recent years, Allison Transmission’s growth in India has been propelled by fitting automatics into low-floor CNG and diesel buses in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Nagpur and other Indian cities. There are now nearly 1,000 on-highway trucks and buses operating in India, which are fitted with Allison Transmissions. Major OEM customers include Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland, JCBL and Lexia Motors. In fact, Allison recently concluded a contract to supply Tata Motors with fully automatic transmissions for low-floor, state-of-the-art, CNG-propelled buses to serve Delhi Transport Corporation.

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 3,300 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.