Allison: act now on local authority fleet emissions
Allison Transmission is highlighting to local authority fleet customers the importance of software upgrades which it says can be easily applied now to reduce tailpipe emissions.
“The issue of urban air pollution does not go away,” said Allison’s Nathan Wilson.
“Every time different regional responses to air pollution are debated, it raises awkward questions about what local authorities can do to combat vehicle emissions.
“Yet the reality for UK fleets is that we’re in an energy transition, and fleets cannot afford to adopt all zero-emission vehicles overnight. There are, however, measures that can be taken today, with diesel powertrains, that can have a significant impact on the environment.”
The key is reducing fuel consumption, says Allison, because the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted by a vehicle is directly related to the amount of fuel the vehicle consumes; and because nitrogen oxide (NOx) is a by-product of the air-fuel mixture combusted in petrol and diesel engines, burning less fuel also helps reduce emissions of this toxic gas.
Allison has introduced FuelSense 2.0 software featuring DynActive Shifting, which it says can cut fuel consumption in existing operational medium- and heavy-duty diesel engines, and is readily available for quick and affordable retrofitting as an aftermarket product.
DynActive Shifting is a new integrated feature incorporating an intelligent algorithm that monitors, learns from, and responds to vehicle behaviour to reduce diesel consumption. The company reports that Fife Council recently demonstrated savings of up to 8.85 per cent on its Mercedes-Benz Econic refuse vehicles.
Allison estimates that upgrading to FuelSense 2.0 mid-vehicle lifecycle could benefit approximately 7,000 Euro 6 Dennis Eagle, Leyland DAF and Mercedes-Benz trucks registered in the UK between 2014 and 2018.
If each of these Allison-equipped vehicles is upgraded, carbon emissions would be reduced by around 27,000 tonnes per year for the vehicles’ remaining lifespan, which could be up ten years.
Many of these vehicles are delivering frontline services to local authorities and local authority contracting organisations – and the cost of the upgrade to FuelSense 2.0 typically pays back through fuel savings in just six to 12 months, says Allison.
“The evidence suggests that benefits to the bottom line can be realised right away,” added Wilson.
“Such improvement is a tangible action that allows authorities to say, yes, we are reducing the emissions of our vehicles, while sticking to our budget.”
