Tell us about Allison Transmission
Founded in 1915, Allison Transmission is a designer and manufacturer of propulsion solutions for commercial and defence vehicles, and the largest global manufacturer of medium- and heavy-duty fully automatic transmissions. Allison Transmission UK is based in Ampthill, Bedfordshire.
What is the case for Allison fully automatic transmissions?
It starts with durability and reliability, proven over decades in the most challenging applications and terrain. Our fully automatic transmissions deliver higher torque ranges and gross vehicle weight capacities. Paired with advanced electronic controls, that means vehicles can do more with the same engine. Full-power shifts with no interruption improve mobility on hills, soft ground, and in stop-start conditions. A heavy-duty torque converter gives smooth, controlled acceleration with no mechanical clutch to wear out.
The result is lower repair costs, longer service intervals and less driver fatigue, which matters as much for training and retention as it does for mission readiness – whether that’s in distribution, refuse, construction, fire and emergency trucks, buses and coaches, motorhomes, off-highway vehicles, equipment (energy, mining and construction applications) or defence vehicles (wheeled and tracked).
Municipal vehicles are a major sector for Allison in the UK. What are you doing there?
The clearest example is our xFE (for extra Fuel Economy) range of transmissions. The torque converter locks up in first gear rather than second, which improves low-speed efficiency and reduces converter slip and heat build-up. The second, third, fifth and sixth gear steps are also optimised, increasing the overall ratio spread, so the engine runs at lower rpm at cruise. That matters for refuse trucks, which spend much of their working day at low speed in urban areas where air quality is most critical.
xFE comes with Allison’s FuelSense 2.0 software and electronic controls as standard. DynActive Shifting uses an advanced algorithm to choose the most efficient shift points from an infinite number of combinations, based on the customer’s specification, the engine fuel map, and vehicle and environmental parameters. Neutral at Stop reduces load on the engine during low-speed coasting and when stationary. Acceleration Rate Management mitigates aggressive driving by automatically controlling engine torque.
What has xFE delivered for operators?
In a 12-month, back-to-back UK trial with Biffa, the standard Allison transmissions in two Dennis Eagle Elite 26-tonne waste collection trucks were replaced with xFE equivalents. Operating on identical routes in the West Midlands and the Wirral, and across a variety of duty cycles, the xFE trucks returned an average fuel saving of 4.8 per cent compared with their previous performance. Earlier this year, Dennis Eagle announced that it will specify the 3000 xFE and 3000R xFE (with retarder) as a standard factory fit on its two- and three-axle Elite+ chassis, for local and export markets.
Where else can operators save?
On service intervals. Advances in lubricant and materials technology mean previous standard practice can be relaxed when using TES-295 transmission fluid. Advised by Allison, Biffa extended its fluid and filter change intervals from 12 months, 600 operating hours or 15,000 km, whichever came first, to 36 months, 3,000 operating hours or 120,000 km, whichever came first. Across its 1,150 Allison-equipped Dennis Eagle and Mercedes-Benz vehicles, that is saving 33,500 litres of transmission fluid a year.
And on new vehicles?
RCVs are traditionally supplied with deep-reduction drive-axle ratios for low-speed operation in hilly urban terrain. But engine manufacturers have invested heavily in high-torque, low-speed engines, which bring fuel economy, noise and emissions benefits. Over more than 690,000 miles of real-life operation, Biffa and Allison established that the fleet of Mercedes-Benz Econic RCVs could effectively run with drive-axle ratios of 6.0:1 rather than the 6.84:1 currently specified. Real-life operation has seen the vehicles deliver a 2.4% fuel saving.
Ashley Brooks
Senior Director, European and South African Sales, Allison Transmission
