Bonluck brings first Allison-equipped articulated bus to Aussie roads
Chinese bus and coach maker, Bonluck, has become the first manufacturer to adopt Allison automatic transmissions in articulated buses for use on Australian roads.
BRISBANE, Australia – Designers of the Bonluck BLK Citystar Artic have turned to Allison’s Torqmatic® automatic transmissions to deliver a smooth shift, improved fuel economy and best after-sales support. The 18-meter-long Citystar Artics are fitted with Allison’s six-speed T390R fully automatic transmission mated to a Cummins 340B ISL engine, with a capacity of up to 77 seated passengers and a further 20 standing.
Two of the new Citystar Artics have already started service in and around Brisbane with local operator Brisbane Bus Lines running the Allison-equipped buses for both school routes and local charters.
According to Rodd Hood, director of BLK’s Australian importer, Bus and Coach Sales Australasia, “Allison is the best transmission for the application due to the high quality shifts. Buses are lighter than trucks, and ride comfort is important for both operators and passengers, so a transmission with lumpy shifts just isn’t acceptable. Allison transmissions provide a smooth shift every time and also allow the driver to focus on the road, ensuring safety and comfort for passengers.
“A number of operators are also recording significant fuel savings by using our Allison-equipped Bonluck models when compared with other automatic buses,” Hood added.
Just over five years ago, BLK stopped marketing manual transmission buses in Australia based on market pressure, reliability, efficiency and maintenance considerations.
“We decided to go completely automatic in 2008 because the market was trending that way, and our decision has been vindicated by the strong acceptance of the product,” explained Hood, who added that the Allison T390R (with retarder) provides the added benefits of increased brake life and safety.
“We exclusively specify Allison transmissions equipped with the hydraulic retarder, because they not only save on brake wear, but also act as a secondary brake – an important safety feature.”
Ongoing support has also been a major factor for BLK’s commitment to Allison, for both the Chinese domestic and Australian markets.
“Allison provides great support here in Australia and also has a strong relationship with the BLK factory in China,” said Hood. “Some operators are also in remote locations and simply cannot afford downtime. Extensive technical support is only a phone call away, and Allison has always delivered,” he finished.
About Bonluck Bus and Coach
Bonluck, or BLK, produces Australian specification buses and coaches from its 150,000 square meter manufacturing facility in Nanchang, China. Bonluck manufactures more than 5,000 buses and coaches annually. The company sources the best components from around the world including Cummins engines, Allison transmissions and Australian SuperGal steel, as well as other internationally sourced running gear to ensure a quality product for a competitive price.
About Allison Transmission
Allison Transmission (NYSE: ALSN) is the world’s largest manufacturer of fully automatic transmissions for medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles and hybrid-propulsion systems for city buses. Allison transmissions are used in a variety of applications including refuse, construction, fire, distribution, bus, motorhomes, defense and energy. Founded in 1915, the company is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA and employs approximately 2,800 people worldwide. With a market presence in more than 80 countries, Allison has regional headquarters in the Netherlands, China and Brazil with manufacturing facilities in the U.S., Hungary and India. Allison also has approximately 1,400 independent distributor and dealer locations worldwide. For more information, visit allisontransmission.com.
Press Contacts
Claire Dumbreck Holly Zhang
Propel Technology Allison Transmission Asia Pacific
claire@propel-technology.com holly.zhang@allisontransmission.com
+44 (0) 1295 724130 +86 (10) 6468-6800, Ext. 8818
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Bloxham #1 Zuo Jia Zhuang, Chaoyang District
United Kingdom Beijing, 100028 China
This press release may contain forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact contained in this press release are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by such terminology as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “plans,” “project,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “intend,” “forecast,” “could,” “potential,” “continue,” the negative of these terms or other similar terms or phrases. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve known and unknown risks. Factors which may cause the actual results to differ materially from those anticipated at the time the forward-looking statements are made include, but are not limited to: risks related to our potential indebtedness; our participation in highly competitive markets; general economic and industry conditions; our ability to prepare for, respond to and successfully achieve our objectives relating to technological and market developments and changing customer needs, the failure of markets outside North America to increase adoption of fully automatic transmissions, the discovery of defects in our products resulting in delays in new model launches, recall 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; risks associated with our international operations; brand and reputational risks; our intention to pay dividends; 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 the 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.
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