With plenty of fuel- and emissions-reducing product news for local bus managers, Allison is again sponsoring the ALBUM Conference in 2019
Allison Transmission is, for a 14th year, supporting the ALBUM Conference, as a sponsor and exhibitor. The Allison team, led by UK and Ireland director, Ashley Brooks, will be on hand to discuss Allison’s fully automatic transmission technology to local bus managers from fleets around the UK.
An initiative presented by Allison to UK bus fleet operators at this year’s event is a programme to upgrade their transmissions to one of the company’s xFE-equivalent models, featuring Fuel Sense® 2.0 software. xFE, for extra fuel economy, has been trialled and specified by fleets across the world, where it is reported to have resulted in significant fuel savings in real life operation. In the UK, the upgrade opportunity applies to any bus with an existing Allison T2100 Series transmission from ADL, Optare or Wrightbus.
In September, Optare announced all its single deck buses would be fitted with Allison’s xFE™ fuel saving technology. This followed the launch of the Optare Metrocity xFE midi-bus in 2016, which became Low Emission Bus (LEB) accredited.
“We’re looking forward to being back with our ALBUM friends, this time in Cardiff,” said Ashley Brooks, Area Director UK & Ireland at Allison Transmission. “The event remains one of the best opportunities in the year to catch up with customers at both fleets and OEMs, while informing them of the latest technical developments, in a relaxed environment.”
Allison’s xFE transmissions incorporate optimised gear ratios, which, coupled with the FuelSense® Max package, deliver significantly more lock up operation and operate at lower engine speeds in higher ranges for further fuel economy improvements.
Core to the fuel economy improvements is the use of Allison’s FuelSense® 2.0 software, which uses DynActive™ Shifting to provide the bus with an infinitely variable combination of shift points. Rather than relying on fixed points on a shift table, FuelSense 2.0 uses a learning algorithm to continuously find the ideal balance of fuel economy and performance for the duty cycle, helping bus fleets to operate more efficiently. Advanced FuelSense 2.0 packages include an improved Neutral at Stop feature and enhanced Acceleration Rate Management.
Image – Pictured: An Optare Versa from Trentbarton, an ALBUM member.
About Allison Transmission
Allison Transmission (NYSE: ALSN) is the world’s largest manufacturer of fully automatic transmissions for medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles and hybrid-propulsion systems for city buses. Allison transmissions are used in a variety of applications including refuse, construction, fire, distribution, bus, motorhomes, defense and energy. Founded in 1915, the company is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA and employs approximately 2,600 people worldwide. With a market presence in more than 80 countries, Allison has regional headquarters in the Netherlands, China and Brazil with manufacturing facilities in the U.S., Hungary and India. Allison also has approximately 1,400 independent distributor and dealer locations worldwide. For more information, visit allisontransmission.com.