A comparison trial of automated manual and Allison fully automatic transmission-equipped Renault Premiums by French distribution group sees the Allison transmission returning an average of 8.5-liter/100-kilometer fuel reduction (24% less) by using a smaller power-pack while ensuring optimum productivity.
A 12-month trial by STAF Transports, a refrigerated food distribution group based in Paris, France, has shown great fuel efficiency in refrigerated trucks equipped with Allison fully automatic transmissions.
STAF Transports operates a fleet of more than 350 vehicles and supplies major supermarkets in Paris along with other stores. Since 2008, as part of its plan to renew the distribution fleet, STAF Transport introduced Allison’s 3000 Series in the 19-tonne vehicle range. It now has 20 trucks equipped with Allison’s 3000 Series transmission, including five Renault Premium trucks purchased in 2009. Originally, the choice of Kara Mendjel, chief executive officer of STAF Transports, had been driven by the reliability of an Allison fully automatic transmission in other severe applications across France.
Between June 2009 and 2010, the Allison-equipped vehicles operated alongside Renault Premiums fitted with automated manual transmissions (AMTs). Data on fuel consumption and productivity (payload) was collected electronically. Because of the efficiency delivered by torque converter and powershifts, the Allison-equipped trucks are powered with a 320-hp Dxi7 engine, an engine four liters smaller than the 370hp Dxi11 used in the rest of the fleet fitted with AMT gearboxes.
The comparison tests executed on the daily actual duty cycles around Paris resulted in an average fuel consumption of 28 l/100 km for the Allison versus 36.4 l/100 km for the AMT, without sacrificing productivity or performance. Use of a lighter power-pack in the Allison-equipped vehicle contributed 17% to the total fuel savings, while an additional 7% has been achieved implementing the latest Allison optimization package including Load Based Shift Scheduling (LBSS) technology. Allison’s LBSS automatically selects between economy and performance shift schedules based on the actual vehicle payload and route topography.
“The savings we have seen over the test period amount to an impressive 8.5 l/100 km in favor of the Allison,” said Mendjel. “The trucks that we have fitted with Allison automatics not only deliver superior fuel economy when compared with trucks we have with automated manual transmissions, but also maintain or even improve productivity when it comes to payload transported.”
More information is at www.allisontransmission.com.
