Allison celebrates delivery of the 10,000th Allison fully automatic transmission equipped on Japanese large city bus

TOKYO, November, 2019 - Allison Transmission Japan and Kanagawa Chuo Kotsu Co. Ltd jointly celebrated the delivery of the 10,000th T-model on Mitsubishi Fuso’s bus. The ceremony was held at the Isehara Branch of Kanagawa Chuo Kotsu.

“Thanks to Allison AutomaticsTM, drivers are very satisfied with the ease of driving and are happy to be free from the fatigue of operating manuals,” said Shigehiro Kaneko, Director Executive Vice President, Kanagawa Chuo Kotsu. “They can simply focus on driving safely and providing a smooth and comfortable riding experience to customers. We look forward to Allison’s future technical developments.”

Allison has been offering its T-model transmissions to Japanese OEMs since August 2000. The first Allison T-model was equipped on the Mitsubishi Fuso’s Aero Star diesel engine city bus, and further released on CNG buses the following year. In 2005, Isuzu selected the Allison T-model for its ERGA bus. Following Isuzu, Hino also equipped their Blue Ribbon bus with the Allison T- model. The Allison fully automatic transmissions were greatly appreciated by bus drivers throughout the country because of the smooth upshifts and acceleration.

When Mitsubishi Fuso decided to release the Allison fully automatic transmission as the standard transmission in 2010, an increasing number of bus companies adopted buses equipped with Allison automatic transmissions. Driver recruitment was easier and their training and education period was shorter compared to drivers of buses that have manual transmissions. The selection of buses equipped with Allison automatic transmissions has become one of the key solutions to the driver shortage in the Japanese market.

“We received various comments from bus operators at the beginning of launching the city bus with the Allison fully automatic transmission in 2010. Allison Japan has sincerely listened to voices of customers and provided continuous improvement in its product and appropriate after-sales services,” said Rokuro Komatsu, Manager of Fuso Bus Region Sales Management & After Sales, Fuso Bus Marketing & Sales Japan, Mitsubishi Fuso Truck & Bus Corp. “As a result, bus operators comment that Allison automatics are indispensable for their operation in today’s environment. Furthermore, Allison Automatics are irreplaceable in solving the driver shortage issue due to aging bus drivers and an increasing number of female drivers.”

Amidst the current engine downsizing trend in the bus industry, Allison Automatics are highly valued for the ability to deliver both extremely smooth shifts and powerful acceleration with smaller engines. This is because of the multiplication capability of the torque converter. Furthermore, Allison fully automatics are seen as the best solution for complying with the Japanese 2015 fuel efficiency standards for heavy vehicles. Allison’s Continuous Power Technology™ transmits uninterrupted torque to the wheels when shifting gears and producing

a smooth and powerful driving performance. By learning the optimum gear changes in its duty cycle, it shifts smoothly and ensures bus passengers ride in comfort. As burdensome manual gear shifting is not required, the drivers not only can fully concentrate on safe driving, which is their greatest responsibility, but also helps to reduce the stress and fatigue of driving buses.

“In order to respond to the increasing demand for automatic transmissions, Allison Transmission will continue to provide durable products and after-sales service to support the smooth and punctual operation of city buses as an important means of public transportation for Japan,” said Ashwin Gopalaswamy, President of Allison Transmission Japan.

Contacts
Kaori Hirata
PRISM Inc.
hirata@prism-jpn.com
+81 90 3374 5372
Kamiyacho MT Bldg. 14F
4-3-20 Toraomon, Minato-ku
Tokyo, Japan

Yukio Arai
Allison Transmission
Yukio.arai@allisontransmission.com
+81 3 6718 1696
Shinagawa East One Tower 3F
2-16-1 Konan, Minato-ku
Tokyo, Japan

Nov 14, 2019

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Allison Transmission (NYSE: ALSN) is a leading designer and manufacturer of vehicle propulsion solutions for commercial and defense vehicles, the largest global manufacturer of medium- and heavy-duty fully automatic transmissions, and a leader in electrified propulsion systems that Improve the Way the World Works. Allison products are used in a wide variety of applications, including on-highway trucks (distribution, refuse, construction, fire and emergency), buses (school, transit and coach), motorhomes, off-highway vehicles and equipment (energy, mining and construction applications) and defense vehicles (tactical wheeled and tracked). Founded in 1915, the company is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. With a presence in more than 150 countries, Allison has regional headquarters in the Netherlands, China and Brazil, manufacturing facilities in the USA, Hungary and India, as well as global engineering resources, including electrification engineering centers in Indianapolis, Indiana, Auburn Hills, Michigan and London in the United Kingdom. Allison also has more than 1,400 independent distributor and dealer locations worldwide. For more information, visit allisontransmission.com.

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SOURCE Allison Transmission Holdings Inc.