In France, the publicly-financed vehicle fleet of Paris City Hall is taking delivery of 11 vehicles: two Iveco Eurocargo trucks, two Iveco Stralis tractors and seven Renault models from the D Wide range.
In Spain, operator Transnugon has acquired nine new trucks – two Scanias (pictured) and seven Iveco Stralis trucks of 18 and 26 tonnes, with two and three axles – all Allison-equipped and powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG).
Both operators report significant improvements in fuel economy, driving responsiveness and reliability. Paris City Hall makes this comparison from a total fleet of 100 trucks, ranging from 16 to 44 tonnes, and Transnugon makes the comparison from a 225-strong fleet of tractor-trailers and rigid trucks.
Transnugon’s managing director Pablo Bordils said: “We can confirm that the Allison gearbox affords very significant fuel savings on low-speed routes with frequent stops, which are typical of urban and interurban transport. If we add this 7% saving to the 10% reduction in fuel consumption associated with the use of LNG, we are talking about a total reduction of 17% compared to diesel vehicles with an AMT.”
He adds: “I have yet to witness an Allison gearbox failure.”
At Paris City Hall, Hervé Foucard, head of the transportation fleet, says: “In association with natural gas engines, the automatic transmissions optimise the performance of the vehicles, and our drivers enjoy the exceptional driving ease of vehicles with Allison automatics.
“In terms of maintenance expenses, the trucks need less because the engines suffer less [wear and tear] in use. That’s essential to deal with our workload. With automatic transmissions we benefit from an operational availability [of the trucks] that is not subject to risk.”