BANGKOK, March, 2024 – Allison Transmission, a global leader in manufacturing conventional, electric hybrid and fully electric vehicle propulsion solutions and the largest producer of fully automatic transmissions for medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles, today announced that it has teamed up with UD Trucks Thailand in providing successful transportation and logistics services for the Lotus’s distribution center in northeastern Khon Kaen province.

Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, Lotus's, a major Thai retail chain, has relied on a fleet of UD Croner trucks equipped with Allison fully automatic transmissions for nearly a decade at its Khon Kaen distribution center – the company’s inaugural regional hub and one of Thailand's largest. Serving over 300 Lotus’s stores of various formats in the northeastern region, these trucks efficiently handle the transportation of diverse goods, ranging from fresh foods to household items and appliances. As the holiday season approaches, Lotus’s delivery trucks in these upcountry regions maintain an impressive 95% on-road availability, ensuring reliable and timely service to meet consumers' needs.

The mainstay of this formidable fleet, the UD Croner PKE Trucks are available in both 6x2 or 6x4 axle configurations with a Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) of 16.0-17.0 tons and are powered by a robust UD GH8E eight-liter six-cylinder diesel engine with a maximum of 280 horsepower and 1,050 newton-meter (N•m) torque. Paired seamlessly with a six-speed Allison 3000 Series™ transmission, these vehicles ensure optimal performance and efficiency on every journey. What sets them apart is the 14% faster acceleration offered by Allison Automatics in comparison to traditional manual or automated manual transmissions (AMTs), resulting in elevated average speeds. This acceleration advantage not only enhances efficiency but also plays a pivotal role in reducing driver fatigue. This is particularly crucial given that drivers cover an average distance of approximately 400 km per ride in both urban and upcountry areas, and they have to adeptly manage the challenge of high stop-start duty cycles in congested traffic.

"The truck fleet at Lotus's distribution center is confident in its ability to operate efficiently even during the busiest seasons and toughest conditions, thanks to Allison automatic transmissions. These transmissions require only fluid and filter replacement and extended periodic maintenance, allowing the trucks to stay constantly on the road, right where they need to be,” said Nattakarn Songkarmsri, Dealer Manager of UD Trucks Thailand. “Real-world experiences also prove that Allison Automatics can achieve fuel efficiency targets, further reducing the total cost of ownership for our customers.”

Allison’s 3000 Series is designed for medium-duty commercial vehicles and is engineered to adapt and operate efficiently in a variety of applications. The 3000 Series is built to make medium-duty vehicles more fuel-efficient and easier to operate.

To learn more about Allison’s 3000 Series automatic transmissions, please visit allisontransmission.com.

About Allision Transmission
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.