Automatic transmission specialist Allison Transmission has announced that it has partnered with driveline specialist Cummins, to test and validate the new Cummins X15N 15-litre natural gas engine, paired with the Allison 4000 Series automatic transmission.
The truck that the two companies are validating is being used by a California based bulk cement company, Sandman, which specialises in bulk cement haulage, with its fleet based in the California city of San Jose, near San Francisco.
Allison and Cummins report that the trial vehicle has successfully completed more than 80,000 km of testing in the field and that it has registered significant improvements in fuel efficiency and performance.
The test vehicle is a Peterbilt prime mover equipped with the Cummins X15N engine and Allison transmission, pulling double trailers of bulk cement, and the two companies claim the combination has demonstrated impressive performance and productivity.
“More than 20 years ago, we integrated Allison fully automatic transmissions, which changed the world for our drivers who haul 80,000-pound loads in stop-and-go traffic between San Jose and San Francisco multiple times a day,” said Sandman’s fleet manager, Victor Landaverde.
“We are thrilled with the performance of the Cummins X15N engine paired with the Allison 4000 Series transmission and the potential impact it could bring to our fleet of more than 100 Allison-equipped natural gas trucks. The field testing has been flawless over the course of 80,000 km, and in addition to achieving excellent fuel efficiency, the enhanced engine braking and consistently stronger power during shifting have significantly improved our operations,” Landaverde said.
Allison said its 4000 Series transmission is designed to deliver both performance and fuel efficiency.
The company says that the transmission’s torque converter multiplies engine torque to significantly improve startability, drivability and overall productivity.
It added that the pairing of the 4000 Series with the X15N, which is 1100kg. lighter than the diesel version of the Cummins 15-litre engine, which it says will deliver additional fuel savings and emissions reductions for fleets, reducing the total cost of vehicle ownership while supporting corporate social responsibility objectives.
Allison said that the 4000 Series transmission used in the Sandman trial is also calibrated with its FuelSense 2.0 software program, which it claims is a unique set of software and electronic controls that provide quantifiable fuel savings of up to 6 per cent.
“Allison fully automatic transmissions are fuel agnostic, meaning they can pair with multiple energy sources, including diesel, natural gas, electric hybrid, fuel cell and battery electric,” said Allison Transmission’s North America sales, global channel and aftermarket vice president, Rohan Barua.
“As the industry continues to evaluate electric vehicle technology and works to overcome the hurdles facing this technology adoption, more customers are expected to adopt alternative fuel engines as a solution to meet increasing emissions stringencies,” Barua added.
“We look forward to partnering with Cummins and leading OEMs to help fleets reduce their carbon footprint without sacrificing fleet productivity and efficiency. We’re confident the Cummins X15N and Allison transmission pairing is an optimal solution,” the Allison executive concluded.
