Order for 34 Scania CNG refuse collection vehicles equipped with Allison Automatics will be delivered to the AWM fleet by autumn, helping to improve air quality in Munich’s city centre.
MUNICH, Germany – Abfallwirtschaftsbetrieb München (AWM), one of the largest municipal waste management companies in Germany, is to add 34 Scania CNG refuse collection vehicles with Allison 3000 Series™ transmissions to its fleet. Following a European-wide tender, 20 trucks have been delivered, with the remainder due to arrive by this autumn.
AWM has operated 10 vehicles of this specification for several years as part of a fleet renewal programme. Eventually all of its 184 refuse collection vehicles will be equipped with environmentally friendly propulsion systems.
Half of the vehicle order are Scania R 280 B 6×2*4 NB//CNG trucks with CR20L long-distance cab and 3,750 mm wheelbase; the other half are Scania L 280 B6x2*4 NB// CNGs with low-floor cab, CityDoor and 3,550 mm wheelbase. The trucks are equipped with Allison 3000 Series™ automatic transmissions and are powered by Euro 6, 5-cylinder inline CNG engines with a displacement of 9.3 litres. Their output is 206 kW (276 hp) and they deliver a torque of 1350 Nm at 1000 rpm and above. The vehicle body is a Faun Variopress with a lifter system by Zoeller.
AWM has been running refuse trucks with Allison fully automatic transmissions since the late 1990s and today, around 80% of its fleet (nearly 150 vehicles) is equipped with an Allison. Besides avoiding clutch replacements and providing greater comfort for the drivers, a key plus point for the Scania-Allison combination has been the transmission’s fuel saving measures. Thanks to Allison’s FuelSense® 2.0 software, for example, the gear shift points are optimally set so that fuel consumption is reduced.
“The overall package makes a lot of sense,” explained Matthias Thiem, Sales of Municipal and Specialized Vehicles at Scania. “Allison is unbeatable in such applications, with up to 700 engine stop-starts per day. Torque converter transmissions are extremely robust and therefore reduce stress levels, not only for operators but also for sellers.”
“Maintenance is considerably simpler for vehicles with fully automatic transmissions. We usually drive our vehicles for 10 to 12 years. With manual or automated manual transmissions, it would mean four clutch replacements,” said Sabine Schulz-Hammerl, Managing Director of AWM. “However, the Allison torque converter does not wear out and thus does not need to be replaced. The only regular maintenance we do is routine oil and filter changes, and here we follow the manufacturer’s exact service intervals.”
By eliminating the need to replace clutches, AWM benefits enormously, not only in terms of reduced operating costs, but also in terms of keeping to scheduled routes and reducing downtime.
“Furthermore, in order to be considerate towards our staff, we wanted to have vehicles without traction interruption. It is significantly more comfortable for the loading crew on the running boards at the back of the truck if they are not jolted every time the vehicle starts up,” said Schulz-Hammerl.
Allison Automatics are ideal for natural gas engines that endure the heavy stop-start duty cycles of municipal vehicles in city traffic. Natural gas engines are more responsive when combined with Allison fully automatic transmissions. Allison torque converter technology assists the natural gas engine at vehicle launch, multiplies engine torque and delivers smooth power to the wheels. As a result, the vehicles deliver the best performance and use the fuel very efficiently, regardless of whether they are fueled with bio-methane or fossil natural gas. The precise crawling speed and precision tuning facilitate the collection of garbage bins in narrow spaces, as well as working at very low speeds. Allison fully automatic transmissions provide seamless, uninterrupted power for higher average speeds, increased productivity and driving comfort, even in the bustling Munich city centre traffic.
Additionally, the Continuous Power Technology™ enables vehicles powered by natural gas to operate more quietly. The helical gears of the Allison 3000 Series transmissions are also a contributing factor to the decrease of noise levels.
“Allison transmissions are perfectly suited for gas engines as they increase output torque at low engine speeds,” said Stephan Marker, Area Sales Manager for Allison Transmission. “They provide greater comfort and vehicle control for both the driver and the loading crew. Incidentally, the smooth, jerk-free starts result in far fewer shoulder issues for the loading crew compared with other types of transmission. And, importantly, Allison Automatics reduce noise levels, fuel consumption and emissions.”
The Allison Automatics in the Scania refuse trucks provide additional fuel efficiency due to FuelSense® 2.0 with DynActive® Shifting, Allison’s latest fuel-saving technology. FuelSense 2.0 uses a real-time learning algorithm that continually assesses driving conditions, taking into account factors such as vehicle weight, the frequency of stop-starts and topography, to initiate subtle but significant alterations in gear shift points to ideally match fuel economy and performance. Tests show fuel savings of up to 8.8% are possible, depending on the route and duty cycle.
June 1st 2022
Image – © Abfallwirtschaftsbetrieb München. Abfallwirtschaftsbetrieb München (AWM) is adding 34 Scania CNG refuse collection vehicles with Allison 3000 Series™ transmissions to its fleet. Drivers and loading crews benefit from the smooth vehicle movements and the excellent maneuverability provided by the Allison transmission, especially when operating in the narrow city streets of Munich.
Image – © Abfallwirtschaftsbetrieb München. The Scania R 280 and L 280 trucks with CNG engines and Allison fully automatic transmissions will help improve air quality in Munich’s city centre and are significantly quieter than diesel-powered vehicles.
Image – © Abfallwirtschaftsbetrieb München. “In order to be considerate towards our staff, we wanted to have vehicles without traction interruption. It is significantly more comfortable for the loading crew on the running boards at the back of the truck if they are not jolted every time the vehicle starts up,” said Sabine Schulz-Hammerl, Managing Director of AWM.
Image – © Allison Transmission. The Allison 3000 Series™ is ideal for natural gas engines that have to endure the heavy start-stop duty cycles of municipal vehicles in city traffic.
Image – © Allison Transmission. Natural gas engines are more responsive when combined with Allison fully automatic transmissions. Allison torque converter technology assists the natural gas engine at vehicle launch, multiplies engine torque and delivers smooth power to the wheels.
Image – © Matthias Thiem. “The overall package makes a lot of sense”, explained Matthias Thiem, Sales of Municipal and Specialized Vehicles at Scania. “Allison is unbeatable in such applications, with up to 700 engine stop-starts per day. Torque converter transmissions are extremely robust and therefore reduce stress levels for operators but also for sellers.”
Image – © Scania. At IFAT (May 30 to June 3, Munich) Scania will present a L 280 Low Entry CNG refuse vehicle with Allison 3000 Series that is part of AWM.
About AWM (Abfallwirtschaftsbetrieb München)
Abfallwirtschaftsbetrieb München (AWM) is a municipal enterprise owned by the Bavarian state capital Munich and is one of the largest municipal waste management companies in Germany. Annually, it collects a total of 14.4 million tons of waste. In 2020, its more than 1,600 employees and 350 vehicles disposed of a total of 573,982 tons of residual, paper and organic waste from Munich’s 1.56 million residents. For more information, go to awm-muenchen.de.
About Allison Transmission
Allison Transmission (NYSE: ALSN) is a leading designer and manufacturer of vehicle 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.