From Dakar to Dustbins: Allison transmission performance & durability to be highlighted at Solutrans

Nov 07, 2019

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Gerard de Rooy, team owner and multiple winner of the Dakar Rally to speak from experience about the advantages of Allison fully automatic transmissions

Allison Transmission has invited one of its most exciting and high-profile customers, Dakar Rally team owner and multiple winner, Gerard De Rooy, to join its exhibition stand at Solutrans 2019, the international show for road & urban transport solutions (November 19-23 in Lyon Eurexpo, hall 6, stand U 098). Gerard De Rooy of the Netherlands-based Team de Rooy will be present for a ‘meet & greet’ session at Allison’s booth on Thursday November 21st.

Team De Rooy finished in third place in the 2019 Dakar Rally with its IVECO Powerstar truck equipped with an Allison fully automatic transmission. Since 2016, the team has purchased Allison automatic transmissions to compete in the 10-day high-speed endurance race, after experiencing mechanical failures with other transmissions.

“Whether competing in one of the toughest motorsport events in the world traversing 3,000-plus miles of rocky dirt roads and sandy deserts, or running a fleet of trucks in urban distribution, waste collection, municipal services and construction, the need to select a transmission that provides the best performance, durability, productivity, manoeuvrability and comfort is the same; in fact, the product is exactly the same!” explains Stephane Gonnand, Head of Market Development of Allison Transmission in France.

Gerard de Rooy said, “Dakar is very hard on the suspension, the axles and the gearbox. We have close to 5000 Nm of torque, plus the reverse power going back from the axles into the driveline, and the whole system has to stand up to constant impacts. On the hard surfaces, there’s shaking through the steering wheel and a vibration goes through the whole driveline. On really loose sand, which requires us to run with low tyre pressure, a lot of heat is created in the gear box and transmission. It’s really hard on the transmission, but durability is everything. If you have a mechanical problem, you can forget achieving a good result.”

At Solutrans, Allison will be showcasing cutaway models of the 3000 Series™ transmission and the 4000 Series™ transmission, as well as an interactive augmented reality experience where visitors can rotate an Allison transmission 360-degrees and look inside.

Allison will also present a Mercedes-Benz Econic NGT equipped with the 3000 Series transmission, designed for urban distribution. The Allison transmission is particularly well-suited to natural gas vehicles where it enhances the CNG to provide the driving sensations and capabilities of a diesel engine. Specifying an Allison Transmission improves the total cost of ownership of a vehicle, thanks to its reliability and low operating costs and it is one of the reasons that Allison is a partner of IVECO France’s Purchase Parity scheme, which ensures diesel and natural gas Eurocargo models cost the same.

Allison Transmission is also involved in the field of electric propulsion systems for the next generation of commercial vehicles and has recently acquired Vantage Power and AxleTech’s EV division.

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