Allison transmissions will help drive New Zealand's Rugby World Cup fans
A new fleet of Allison automatic-equipped Alexander Dennis buses will help transport fans at one of the world's greatest sporting events
Auckland, New Zealand – Allison Transmission is playing a key role in helping to transport the tens of thousands of rugby fans who are expected to flock to New Zealand in September and October for the Rugby World Cup by providing the automatic transmissions to drive a fleet of new Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 buses being built ahead of the International tournament.
The acquisition of the new fleet of 120 Allison-equipped buses powered by the latest Cummins ISBE Euro 5 engines will re-equip the major public transport fleets of New Zealand's major cities, Auckland and Wellington. Allison automatic transmissions were chosen for their efficiency and reliability, with each of the 120 buses to be fitted with Allison Torqmatic® T280R automatics.
The first of the new fleet of buses was handed over to major public transport operator NZ Bus in Auckland in late June. All of the new buses are expected to be on the road in time for the Rugby World Cup.
According to Michael Musgrave, the business development manager for Alexander Dennis in Australia and New Zealand, the company recommended Allison transmissions to NZ Bus as part of the overall specification of the Kiwi Enviro 200 contract.
"Allison is Alexander Dennis' preferred supplier for automatic transmissions and has been for the past 15 years. In fact the vast majority of the more than 14,000 Enviro 200 buses we have built worldwide have been fitted with Allison transmissions," said Michael Musgrave.
"NZ Bus looked to us to make it all happen. Alexander Dennis presented the specification to NZ Bus as the best and most efficient package. They were looking to us as a partner supplying our knowledge and expertise as well as providing the new hardware," he added.
"Interestingly the feedback from NZ Bus on the use of Allison automatics was very positive because it had already started to re-gear some of its older buses, switching from another brand of automatic to Allison automatics mated to new Cummins Euro 5 turbo diesel engines in a bid to provide a more fuel efficient, environmentally friendly and reliable driveline.”
The 11.3m long, two-door Enviro200s are fully air-conditioned and are capable of carrying 55 passengers.
Bruce Emson, CEO of NZ Bus, says this bus contract is the single biggest investment made by his company. “There were 38 different product options evaluated during the tender process, and this selection forms part of our long-range vision to create an unrivalled bus transport system that can be the envy of the world," said Mr. Emson.
About NZ Bus
NZ Bus is the country’s largest public transport operator and runs more than 1,000 buses in the Auckland and Wellington regions, employing around 2,000 people.
About Allison Transmission
Allison Transmission is the world’s largest manufacturer of fully automatic transmissions for medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles, medium- and heavy-tactical U.S. military vehicles and hybrid-propulsion systems for transit buses. Allison transmissions are used in a variety of applications including on-highway trucks (distribution, refuse, construction, fire and emergency), buses (primarily school and transit), motor homes, off-highway vehicles and equipment (primarily energy and mining) and military vehicles (wheeled and tracked). Founded in 1915, the Allison business is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.A. and employs approximately 2,750 people. Regional headquarters with dedicated support staff are located in China, The Netherlands, Brazil, India and Japan. With a global presence in 80 countries, Allison has over 1,500 independent distributor and dealer locations. More information about Allison is available at www.allisontransmission.com.
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campaigns and/or increased warranty costs and reduction in future sales or damage to our brand and reputation; the concentration of our net sales in our top five customers and the loss of any one of these; and labor strikes, work stoppages or similar labor disputes, which could significantly disrupt our operations or those of our principal customers. Although we believe the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, we can give no assurance that the expectations will be attained or that any deviation will not be material. All information is as of the date of this press release, and we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to conform the statement to actual results or changes in expectations.
Media Enquiries
Claire Dumbreck, Propel Technology, Bloxham Mill, Barford Road, Bloxham, Banbury, Oxfordshire, UK, OX15 4FF. +44 (0)1295 724130 / +44 (0) 7768 773857. claire@propel-technology.com
Paula Chen, Allison Transmission Asia Pacific, Communications, Beijing, China, Tel: +86 (10) 6468 6800 8805. paula.chen@allisontransmission.com
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