Barbados Transport Board revitalizes its fleet with electronic engines and new Allison transmissions

Transport Board, a public company in Barbados, Caribbean, chose to renew 30 urban fleet buses, replacing old engines and Allison’s automatic transmissions with newer models.

SAO PAULO, Brazil, May 2020 – A collaboration between Mercedes-Benz/Brazil and Allison Transmission will provide the fully updated powertrain in 30 Mercedes-Benz OH 1420 buses to Transport Board, the public transport company in the Caribbean country Barbados. The refreshed models are receiving the new MB Euro 3 electronic engines to replace old mechanical injection pump engines, as well as the new Allison T270R™ fully automatic transmissions to replace the old Allison MT643R™.

Continuing the renewal process will generate new business for both companies, as approximately 60% of the 250-bus fleet on the island is inoperative due to their age and maintenance issues. The Mercedes-Benz OH 1420 chassis, no longer in production, were always exported to Barbados equipped with Allison automatic transmissions. Based upon the positive experience, theTransport Board decided to repower existing buses with electronic engines and and further enhanced Allison automatic transmissions.

“This bus revitalization is a relatively standard procedure in the Caribbean islands,” says Evaldo Oliveira, Director of Sales for Allison Transmission, South America. “The operational and financial difficulties for replacing vehicles lead city transport services, such as those provided by the Transport Board, to update the vehicle’s powertrain to extend the life of the country’s existing models. The cost is significantly cheaper than purchasing new buses, making passenger transport efficient again.”

The Allison T270R was developed exclusively for buses and designed to offer more reliable and durable public transport, in addition to providing low maintenance costs. It uses Allison’s patented torque converter to smoothly multiply the torque of the engine and transmit greater power to the driving wheels in any traffic situation. The integrated retarder also decreases the use of the brakes, reducing the wear of the brake linings and further minimizing repair costs.

26 May, 2020

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Allison Transmission (NYSE: ALSN) is a leading designer and manufacturer of vehicle propulsion solutions for commercial and defense vehicles, the largest global manufacturer of medium- and heavy-duty fully automatic transmissions, and a leader in electrified propulsion systems that Improve the Way the World Works. Allison products are used in a wide variety of applications, including on-highway trucks (distribution, refuse, construction, fire and emergency), buses (school, transit and coach), motorhomes, off-highway vehicles and equipment (energy, mining and construction applications) and defense vehicles (tactical wheeled and tracked). Founded in 1915, the company is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. With a presence in more than 150 countries, Allison has regional headquarters in the Netherlands, China and Brazil, manufacturing facilities in the USA, Hungary and India, as well as global engineering resources, including electrification engineering centers in Indianapolis, Indiana, Auburn Hills, Michigan and London in the United Kingdom. Allison also has approximately 1,600 independent distributor and dealer locations worldwide. For more information, visit allisontransmission.com.

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SOURCE Allison Transmission Holdings Inc.