Allison Offers Transmission Solutions for Passenger Buses in Brazil
Allison Transmission, a world-famous manufacturer of fully automatic transmissions for medium and heavy duty use, extended the geographic reach of its products in South America. Recently, it has become known that passenger buses in Brazil will be equipped with highly efficient automatic transmissions provided by the American company.
Buses, produced by Agrale and Mercedes-Benz, will
get Allison 3000 Series transmissions which have an integrated fuel saving
solution known as xFE. Refined gear ratios combined with innovative fuel saving
technologies ensure up to 7 % of fuel economy.
Agrale MA 17 chassis
Representatives of the Brazilian chassis and bus-making
company Agrale claim that their products will only benefit from implementation
of the 3000 Series transmission. On the one hand, this transmission will
significantly simplify things for bus drivers, since the gear shifting process
will be fully automatic which is especially convenient in stop-start traffic
and wavy terrain. On the other hand, this solution will also ensure increased
comfort for passengers. And finally, adoption of the automatic transmission
will pay dividends for the Brazilian company itself. First of all, these are
economic gains caused by decreased operational and maintenance expenses as well
as by improved performance characteristics of buses.
Officials of Mercedes-Benz Brazil also show
enthusiasm about integration of the Allison 3000 Series in the Mercedes-Benz
OF1721L chassis. This solution was showcased at the trade show in the summer of
2018.
Mercedes-Benz OF1721
chassis
The front-engined chassis OF1721 with air
suspension paired with the automatic transmission has a wide range of possible
applications. The automatic transmission T3270, provided by Allison
Transmission, reduces fuel consumption by to 7 % thanks to early blocking of
the torque converter and gear ratios which ensure longer operating times at low
engine speeds. In addition, the Allison xFE series automatic transmissions are
equipped with a package of fuel-saving features – FuelSense 2.0 with DynActive
Shifting technology. In addition, these transmissions are compatible with
engines running on alternative types of fuel. FuelSense 2.0 feature uses a
self-learning algorithm that works in real time and dynamically determines the
time of gear shifting to achieve a balance between fuel economy and
acceleration dynamics of the bus. Buses equipped with the
Mercedes-Benz OF1721
chassis and Allison automatic transmissions will hit the market in 2019.
Fully automatic
transmission T3270 manufactured by Allison
Automatic gearboxes give benefits to freight
companies thanks to maintenance optimization and enhanced powertrain
durability. Bus drivers will pay much more attention to the traffic and it will
help to reduce the risk of road accidents. The automatic transmission option
for the OF1721L chassis allows Mercedes-Benz to offer customers more variants
to configure their buses according to their demands and operation features.
The Agrale MA 17 chassis paired with the
Allison transmission solution has already gained popularity in Argentina, and
attracted a strong interest from other potential buyers in the region. The
variant for Brazil, designed for 3 doors, is up to 13.2 meters in length and
includes air-cushioned suspension.
Allison's success in Argentina proves high efficiency of automatic transmissions provided by the American company. The Allison 3000 Series turned out to be a viable solution which helps buses to keep pace with the traffic in densely populated cities and to ensure safety and comfort of passengers.
