To demonstrate the superior performance of its fully automatic transmissions in difficult conditions and terrain, Allison Transmission hosted a test driving event at The Transportation Science Research Institute in Shibetsu, Hokkaido earlier this year.
Hino ranger crane truck with a fully automatic Allison transmission
More than 30 professional truck drivers from construction rental and OEM-related companies participated in a comparison of identical vehicles equipped with different types of transmissions. They drove two kinds of Hino Ranger trucks; a mid-size dump truck and a crane truck. For the two test courses, the drivers operated a Hino equipped with a fully automatic Allison 1000 Series™ transmission and the exact same Hino vehicle equipped with a manual or automated manual transmission (AMT). All of the vehicles were weighted to simulate a load of 1,600 kg.
Hino ranger crane truck was on test .
The dump truck was driven on a test course 150 meters long with a snowy hill gradient up to 12 percent. The crane truck was driven on a course of compacted snow 1,200 meters long with a gradient up to 14 percent. When compared to the trucks with manuals or AMTs, Allison’s patented Continuous Power Technology™ delivered smoother, seamless, full-power shifts and superior acceleration. Each shift is made automatically when appropriate, allowing drivers to precisely manage performance and exercise superior vehicle control – including on snowy, difficult terrain.
Allison’s torque converter smoothly multiplies engine torque, delivering more power to the wheels. By multiplying the engine power, drivers get increased performance, faster acceleration and greater operational flexibility.
Allison Transmission
“The Hino Ranger with an Allison provides a very smooth gear-changing experience, while also accelerating faster on the compacted snowy road when compared to the AMT-equipped truck,” said Tokihiro Nakajima, Hino Motors rental fleet department manager. “Automatic transmission-equipped vehicles are definitely easier to drive for rental users, and rental fleets will no doubt adopt them.”
In response to positive feedback from the initial event, Allison has scheduled similar test driving opportunities beginning in December.
