Nearly five years since entering the nation’s 7-meter light bus market, Allison Transmission supplied its 2,000thfully automatic transmission — a T 1000™ for Hyundai Motor Co.

　　In celebration of the milestone, Allison held a ceremony for Yoo Jong (Gyeonggi-do Ansan-shi) of Rainbow Tour, its 2,000thlight commercial bus customer. Yoo Jong drives a Hyundai County 25-passenger model, responsible for the commute of kindergarteners in Gyeonggi-do Ansan-shi Sanglok-gu Sa-dong Pureun Maeul 5.

　　“For kindergarten shuttles that have to frequently stop and start, manual driving is very exhausting and is less fuel efficient,” said Jong. “Therefore, I chose Allison’s fully automatic transmission, which has both driving convenience and economic feasibility. I am honored to be Allison’s 2000thlight bus customer.”

　　The ceremony was held with Allison branch manager Lee Kyoungmee and director Kim Henry.

　　“With the trust of light bus customers, we are proud to have achieved our 2,000thtransmission for this market,” said Kyoungmee. “We will continue to provide excellent service and technical support to further increase our share among light commercial buses.”  

　　According to industry data, more than 30 percent of light buses in Korea now are equipped with fully automatic transmissions. Such vehicles are generally used as tourist buses, shuttles for students of academy, shuttles for children, and as official vehicles for government. In addition to Hyundai, Allison has provided the T 1000 to Zyle Daewoo Bus, for its Lestar model, since 2015.

　　The current wave of interest in Allison transmission in the light bus market is being driven by improved economics. Based on passenger load and terrain, Allison transmissions automatically select among multiple shift schedules to enhance fuel savings or add more power, as needed.

　　Allison’s Continuous Power Technology™ allows its transmissions to simply and smoothly deliver uninterrupted engine power to the wheels, letting the driver focus on handling and maneuvering the bus.

　　Allison automatics perform better than manual or automated manual transmissions (AMTs) that lose torque every time they shift, resulting in inefficient operation and less ground travelled. Additionally, Allison transmissions don’t require costly clutch replacements that result in greater downtime. A torque converter experiences very little wear and Allison transmissions require only periodic fluid and filter changes to maintain peak performance.

　　With more than 100 bus OEMs around the world choosing Allison, the company supplies more transmissions that its two largest automatic competitors.