Mercedes-Benz delivers 10,000th Econic with Allison transmission
Milestone vehicle supplied to AWB municipal waste company in Cologne, Germany
Mainz, Germany, February 2011 – The 10,000th Econic fitted with an Allison automatic transmission has been officially handed over to the AWB municipal waste company of Cologne, Germany. The AWB now successfully runs 130 Econics equipped with Allison fully automatic transmissions in their fleet, and in the next three years they will receive a further 76. “The commercial vehicle market so far does not offer an alternative to the Econic. The Allison fully automatic transmission and the low entry cab have proven successful in working practice and thus have become a must-have with regard to vehicle procurement,” explains Herbert Winkelhog, managing director of the AWB. “For 10 years the Econic has been a constant in our fleet. We are very pleased that the milestone Econic will be driving through Cologne in the future.” At the market launch in 1998, the Econic was presented as a chassis purely for the refuse sector. But whether in Stockholm, Berlin or Paris, the low-entry-concept quickly convinced other sectors of its benefits. Now, the Econic is used for a huge range of applications including municipal, distribution, airport ground services, beverage delivery, and is used as a fire-fighting vehicle and even an articulated fuel tanker. Since 2008, the Econic has also been available as a truck tractor with an environmentally-friendly CNG engine. From the beginning Mercedes-Benz exclusively selected Allison fully automatics to ensure the highest level of driving comfort as well as strong reliability and high fuel efficiency. Today, every Econic is built with Allison’s 3000 Series while the integral hydraulic retarder is optional. The versatile Econic is available as a four, six and eight-wheeler with gross vehicle weight options from 18, 26 and 32 tonnes. The drivetrain is either an in-line six-cylinder OM 906 LA with power ranging from 175 kW (238 PS) to 210 kW (286 PS) or the OM 926 LA with 240 kW (326 PS). In 2002, as an alternative to the diesel powerpack, the Econic was made available with a CNG engine M906 LAG with 205 kW (279 PS). Since then, more than 1,000 Econic CNG vehicles have been put into service. Whether diesel or CNG powered, both are EEV certified, and thus they achieve the highest European emission standard. Furthermore, the biogas CNG Econic used for waste collection in Stockholm, Sweden, is CO2-neutral. Thanks to its torque converter technology and powershifting, Allison fully automatic transmissions ensure excellent vehicle performance at low engine speed, even in combination with alternative fuel and CNG power-packs. In fact by multiplying the engine torque at vehicle launch, the torque converter ensures superior vehicle startability, crucial for CNG engines. “Allison transmissions are characterised by high efficiency, with minimal, easy maintenance, that’s why we decided to make them standard in the Econic. They have been very conducive to the success of the Econic”, adds Michael Dietz, head of sales, Mercedes Benz Special Trucks. Safe and sure The low-floor vehicle with low entry and cab floor is a welcome feature for the drivers, especially where frequent getting in and out of the vehicle is part of the daily job. “In the past, feet, ligaments and knee injuries were frequent with vehicles with a standard entry cab. Since the use of the Econic, these injuries have noticeably decreased,” says AWB managing director Herbert Winkelhog. The panoramic window, glassed folding door and the mirror arrangement provide excellent visibility for the driver, an advantage especially in urban areas. Additionally, the Allison fully automatic transmission’s smooth automatic shifting makes life a little easier for the driver and other occupants. Durable transmission The proven design of the Allison fully automatic transmission makes it the ideal solution for all harsh duty cycles where reliability, durability and performance are important. “An Allison uses the torque converter as the vehicle launching device,” says Manlio Alvaro, Allison’s European marketing manager. “The torque converter is not a wear component and ensures coupling with the engine without the need of a dry clutch. It delivers superior startability while reducing driveline stress and wear, which is essential in refuse applications and other applications with a severe start and stop duty cycle. This is why Allison transmissions are so trusted in the sector.” The 3000 Series transmission is a fully automatic six speed transmission with close gear ratios and advanced electronic control, providing optimal shifting to match operating conditions and keep the engine running within the efficient operating zone. For these many reasons, the Econic with an Allison transmission delivers an unrivalled combination of performance, productivity and fuel efficiency. Technical data of the Econic milestone vehicle Model: ECONIC 2629 L Engine: Diesel OM 906 LA Engine rating: 210 kW (286 hp) Gross vehicle weight: 26,000 kg Transmission: Allison 6 speed fully-automatic Body: Faun Rotopress About the municipal waste company Cologne (AWB) The municipal waste company Cologne has more than 1,400 employees and the fleet operates over 400 vehicles, more than 130 of them are Econics with Allison fully automatic transmissions. The AWB has three depots for waste disposal and street-cleaning, two waste-centres, two waste transfer stations, one head office and service centre and a workshop. In 2009 it disposed 278,000 tonnes of residual waste and around 28,300 tonnes of organic waste. About Allison Transmission, Inc. Allison Transmission, Inc. (Allison) is the premier global provider of commercial duty automatic transmissions and hybrid propulsion systems. Allison products are specified by over 250 of the world’s leading vehicle manufacturers and are used in many market sectors including bus, refuse, fire, construction, distribution, military and specialty applications. Founded in 1915, the Allison business is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.A. and employs 3,000 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 1,550 distributor and dealer locations. More information about Allison is available at www.allisontransmission.com. ## Press Contacts 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 Miranda Jansen, Allison Transmission Europe B.V. Marketing Communications, Baanhoek 188, 3361GN Sliedrecht - The Netherlands , Tel: +31 78-6422 174. miranda.jansen@allisontransmission.com Photographs Available upon request from claire@propel-technology.com
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