French Alps passenger transport company opts for Allison-equipped Van Hool EX 16L coach for reliability, uptime and increased capacity of passengers and their luggage.
PARIS, France – Société Cars Alpes Littoral (SCAL), a passenger transport company located in Gap in the French Alps, has acquired a Van Hool EX 16 L coach equipped with an Allison fully automatic transmission. The transmission was selected for increased vehicle reliability and uptime, complementing the additional seating and luggage storage capacity of the Van Hool model.
The SCAL fleet of 97 coaches and buses operates from nine sites in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region of southern France. Its new Van Hool EX 16 L operates two round trips per day on SCAL’s Gap to Briançon route, which is one of its most challenging at 85 kilometres in length. Incorporating 581 metres of elevation gain, the coach travels at an average speed of just 22.5 mph / 36 km/h.
“The SCAL fleet works 364 days a year, on steep routes with a very high occupancy rate, as we are often the only public transportation solution available,” said Yann Pellegrin, President of SCAL SAS. “The Allison fully automatic transmission is the perfect solution to ensure maximum vehicle uptime on these challenging roads. This transmission optimises gear changes by avoiding untimely shifts and maximising the torque and power potential of the engine. The Allison transmission is as comfortable climbing a mountain pass as it is in traffic jams or for very precise manoeuvres to get into the tightest spaces.”
The Allison transmission automatically manages gear changes, using its FuelSense 2.0® software, which chooses the best gear at any time according to road conditions and drivers’ needs. This intelligent and adaptive software takes advantage of gear changes, without losing power and inertia, as only a fully automatic transmission can do. The torque is transmitted continuously from the engine to the wheels without loss of energy.
The hydraulic retarder, coupled with the fully automatic transmission, is a source of savings with the drastic reduction in wear and brake replacement, which is particularly important for SCAL on these mountainous routes.
Thanks to the Allison fully automatic transmission, vehicle availability is close to 100% because breakage or damage from overheating, as experienced in transmissions with a dry clutch, is eliminated. The Allison transmission only requires draining and filter changes at scheduled intervals, regardless of the driving and traffic conditions or the individual driving style and experience of the drivers.
“We provided SCAL and Van Hool with a very efficient driveline for this mountainous region. The coach is an undeniable asset for SCAL in terms of fleet reliability, and also because it is an attractive coach for drivers in a period when recruitment is very difficult,” said Stéphane Gonnand, Area Sales Manager, Allison Transmission France.
July 19th 2022
Image – Yann Pellegrin, President of Société Cars Alpes Littoral (SCAL) SAS and Stéphane Gonnand, Area Sales Manager, Allison Transmission France, pictured by the new Allison-equipped Van Hool EX 16 L coach at the bus station in Gap, France where SCAL is headquartered.
About Allison Transmission
Allison Transmission (NYSE: ALSN) is a leading designer and manufacturer of propulsion solutions for commercial and defense vehicles and the largest global manufacturer of medium- and heavy-duty fully automatic transmissions that Improve the Way the World Works. Allison products are used in a wide variety of applications, including on-highway trucks (distribution, refuse, construction, fire and emergency), buses (school, transit and coach), motorhomes, off-highway vehicles and equipment (energy, mining and construction applications) and defense vehicles (tactical wheeled and tracked). Founded in 1915, the company is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. With a presence in more than 150 countries, Allison has regional headquarters in the Netherlands, China and Brazil, manufacturing facilities in the USA, Hungary and India, as well as global engineering resources, including electrification engineering centers in Indianapolis, Indiana, Auburn Hills, Michigan and London in the United Kingdom. Allison also has more than 1,400 independent distributor and dealer locations worldwide. For more information, visit allisontransmission.com.