Allison Transmission Partners With Cummins to Conduct Successful Field Testing of New Natural Gas Engine

Allison-equipped natural gas trucks, has completed over 50,000 miles of testing of the new Cummins X15N natural gas engine 

Allison Transmission has partnered with Cummins to test and validate the new Cummins X15N 15-liter natural gas engine paired with the Allison 4000 Series^TM fully automatic transmission. Sandman, a bulk cement hauling fleet based in San Jose, California, has successfully completed over 50,000 miles of vehicle testing in the field and reports significant improvements in fuel efficiency and performance. The test vehicle, a Peterbilt tractor pulling double trailers of bulk cement, demonstrated the impressive performance and productivity of the X15N engine and Allison transmission combination.

“More than 20 years ago, we integrated Allison fully automatic transmissions, which changed the world for our drivers who haul 80,000-pound loads in stop-and-go traffic between San Jose and San Francisco multiple times a day,” said Victor Landaverde, Fleet Manager, Sandman. “We are thrilled with the performance of the Cummins X15N engine paired with the Allison 4000 Series transmission and the potential impact it could bring to our fleet of over 100 Allison-equipped natural gas trucks. The field testing has been flawless over the course of 50,000 miles, and in addition to achieving excellent fuel efficiency, the enhanced engine braking and consistently stronger power during shifting have significantly improved our operations.”

The 4000 Series transmission is designed to deliver both performance and fuel efficiency. Allison’s torque converter multiplies engine torque to significantly improve startability, drivability and overall productivity. Pairing the 4000 Series with the X15N, which is 500 pounds lighter than the diesel version of the 15-liter engine, will deliver additional fuel savings and emissions reductions for fleets, reducing total cost of vehicle ownership while supporting corporate social responsibility objectives. The 4000 Series transmission used in Sandman’s trial is also calibrated with FuelSense^® 2.0, a unique set of software and electronic controls that provide quantifiable fuel savings of up to 6%.

“Allison fully automatic transmissions are fuel agnostic, meaning they can pair with multiple energy sources, including diesel, natural gas, electric hybrid, fuel cell and battery electric. As the industry continues to evaluate electric vehicle technology and works to overcome the hurdles facing this technology adoption, more customers are expected to adopt alternative fuel engines as a solution to meet increasing emissions stringencies,” said Rohan Barua, Vice President, North America Sales, Global Channel and Aftermarket, Allison Transmission. “We look forward to partnering with Cummins and leading OEMs to help fleets reduce their carbon footprint without sacrificing fleet productivity and efficiency. We’re confident the Cummins X15N and Allison transmission pairing is an optimal solution.”

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