Métropole d'Aix-Marseille-Provence carried out an independent test for 18 months, on four refuse vehicles, to assess the performance of Allison Transmission’s FuelSense 2.0 software. This test demonstrated the performance of the latest version of this software, with fuel savings of up to 12%.
FuelSense 2.0 software was installed in four Renault Trucks D 4x2 vehicles, equipped for refuse collection. “Eco” mode was activated in the software instead of the “Performance” mode, enabling the vehicles to travel an average of 1,200 km (745 miles) per month or 21,000 km (13,048 mi.) each during the duration of the test. In addition to the significant fuel savings, CO2 emissions were reduced on all four vehicles by almost five tonnes, while maintaining vehicle performance.
“The price of fuel encourages us to study all possible solutions to reduce our consumption. By performing this test, we did not expect such savings: 12% is more than significant! And the feedback we have from drivers is very positive—the vehicles have kept their performance,” explains Stanislas Kogut-Kubiak, Maintenance Manager at Métropole d'Aix-Marseille-Provence.
Based on this test, the municipality has chosen to install FuelSense 2.0 on 24 other vehicles in its fleet to reduce its fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
“Our fleet is made up of 160 refuse vehicles. Every one of them is equipped with Allison transmissions. We have chosen Allison transmissions for a long time and the investment is quickly paid back. Allison transmissions are robust and reliable and rarely require downtime, making maintenance easier,” says Kogut-Kubiak.
The results of this test are consistent with an independent 2019 study conducted by the Fife Council in the United Kingdom. A 6-month test was carried out on two Mercedes-Benz Econics refuse vehicles. These vehicles worked in two shifts from Monday to Friday, with different types of waste and traveled 21,000 km (13,048 mi.). For 6 months, the fuel savings on these vehicles averaged 9%.
Allison Transmission’s FuelSense 2.0 software features DynActive Shifting. At the heart of this technology is an intelligent algorithm which continuously assesses driving conditions to best adjust gear changes. This algorithm takes into account different factors, such as vehicle weight, road gradient or the frequency of stops and starts.
