Veolia Transdev - Shorelink Buses save fuel with switch to Allison Automatics
Veolia Transdev - Shorelink Buses, a division of global transport company Veolia Transdev, is recording better fuel economy, improved performance, and more efficiency since adding three new Iveco buses fitted with Allison T375R fully automatic transmissions to its bus fleet earlier this year.
SYDNEY, Australia - Veolia Transdev - Shorelink Buses, one of the largest non-government bus operators in the Sydney basin, recently added three Allison-equipped, Cummins-powered Iveco buses, a Euro 4 version in late 2010 and two Euro 5 versions in February 2011. It is estimated that the three buses have saved Veolia Transdev - Shorelink Buses close to 6,000 litres of fuel compared with the other newer buses in the fleet and have covered close to 150,000 km since joining the Shorelink fleet, working double shifts seven days a week, with only regularly scheduled maintenance taking them off the road.
General Manager of Veolia Transdev - Shorelink Buses Tony Ralph says the purchase of the new Iveco buses equipped with Allison transmissions came after regular and exhaustive market analysis.
“We go through this exercise every few years, looking at all different types and brands of bus, analysing features, benefits, maintenance, fuel consumption and capacity, amongst other things,” said Mr. Ralph. “We also study the various body builders to ensure that we can source the best overall package, and the needs and wants of our mechanics who maintain the buses are considered as we research the ease of maintenance, service intervals, and cost of replacement parts for each variation.”
He added that while the Iveco buses equipped with Allison transmissions and Cummins engines emerged from the analysis as the best option, the company’s drivers were apprehensive about the switch and were initially resistant to the change.
“The drivers offered some resistance, but since the three new Allison-equipped Iveco buses have joined the fleet, the drivers have commented that those buses are far more responsive and smoother shifting than the other buses in our fleet,” Mr. Ralph noted.
“The biggest factor for Shorelink has been the 10-15% improvement in fuel consumption from the new buses, which are already recording regular fuel economy of around 42 litres per 100 km compared with an average of between 47 and 50 litres per 100 km from other newer buses in our fleet. The evidence is quite favourable, and it certainly makes a huge difference across the fleet in terms of fuel costs. However, we will need at least a full 12 months to assess all the factors, including maintenance and repair costs. But at this stage they surely look like a very viable option,” commented Mr. Ralph.
Veolia Transdev - Shorelink Buses operates in one of the most challenging regions of Sydney, servicing the upper North Shore of Australia’s biggest city. This area is marked by extremely hilly terrain with deep valleys and high traffic density. Shorelink covers the area from the regional hub of Chatswood, north to the Hawkesbury River with additional routes taking upper north shore commuters into the Sydney CBD and to the Macquarie Shopping Centre and University precinct.
“Our regular routes are traditionally hard on engines and transmissions, with some tough climbs in what are some of the highest parts of Sydney, but the Allison-equipped Iveco buses are coping extremely well,” Mr. Ralph concluded.
The Shorelink fleet comprises approximately 100, mostly Scania, buses with an average age of 10 years, while the oldest vehicle on the fleet is 23 years old.
About Veolia Transdev
Veolia Transdev was formed in 2011 following a merger between Veolia Transport and Transdev and is a leading public transport company with almost 3,000 employees working on train, bus, ferry, light rail and monorail transport services across Australia and New Zealand. The company partners with local government, public authorities and private companies to deliver more than 60 million passenger journeys every year on around 1,200 vehicles and vessels. Globally, Veolia Transdev is a leader in the operation of passenger transport services, operating in more than 25 countries with more than 119,000 employees worldwide, managing more than 60,000 vehicles delivering 3.3 billion trips a year.
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 2,800 people. Allison has manufacturing facilities and customization centers located in China, The Netherlands, Brazil, India and Hungary, with a global presence, serving customers in North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, South America and Africa. Allison also has more than 1,500 independent distributor and dealer locations worldwide. More information about Allison is available at www.allisontransmission.com.
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 terminology such as "may," "will," "should," "expect," "plans," "project," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict," “intend,” “forecast,” “could,” "potential," "continue" or 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 substantial indebtedness; our participation in markets that are competitive; 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; 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.
Press 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, Communications, Allison Transmission Asia Pacific, Beijing, China. +86 (10) 6468-6800-8805. Paula.chen@allisontransmission.com
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