[Adam]Hi, I am Adam and welcome again to Studio Allison brought to you by Allison(Transmission), a global technology company specialized in automatic transmissions, electric hybridand electric propulsion solutions.This is the place where we will share some interesting stories and exceptional bus & coach applications. We will also tune in on how you can keep your critical business, fleet, crew and passengers moving. 24/7. 365 days a year. When downtime is not an option! Adam]Today we will explore the world of Bus & Coach transportation. We will zoom in on how you can move passengers to their destinations more comfortably and in time whether through busy city traffic, mountaineous area’s or... even on glaciers! We will also have a closer look at solutions to makeyour coach busesdrive cleaner, either in cities with low orzero emission zonesor on longerjourneys.

Adam]In today's program joining us here are Meltem Darakci and Erik Pigmans. Hi there! They are going to tell us more about the conditions the drivers and buses operate in and how fully automatic transmissions, electric hybridand electric axles can make the difference. Later on, wewill talk with [person name] from VanHool,a company specialized in premium coach busesandRik and Janfrom “Alk Travel Creators”, a company specialized in creating personalized unique travel experiences.We will then switch to a team from Isuzu bus who will share some driver experiencesthey had with buses equipped with an Allison. Last but not least, we will close with a “gigantic” story from Astvaldur Oskarsson organizing extremeglacier expeditions in a “monster”bus. So an exciting program, let's get started! [Adam]Meltem and Erik, welcome to the studio. It’sgood to have you here. Erik, when I think of sitting or standing in a bus or coach as a passenger, it can be quite a bumpy ride. I understand a torque converter and Continous Power Technologycan provide some comfort. Can you maybe explain how that works?

[Erik]Sure. You cancompare it a bit with a hovercraft flying smoothly overthe water. A hoovercraft has one or two big “fans” which pushair to the opposite direction. By moving the air, the hovercraft can accelerate very fast atcontinues speed without shocks.In essense the torque converter in a fully automatic transmission works based on this same fan principle.Like you can see on this 3D model on the tableand the image in the background, the torque converter consists of two fans, sitting opposite of each other. Instead of blowing air the fan will push fluid to the other fanwhich starts moving. The pump fan is connected to the engine and the other fan, which we call a turbine, is connected through the transmission to the wheels. There is a smaller fan called "stator"in between these fans which pushes the fluid around for a second push against the turbine wheel and that ensures the torque and power is multiplied by two at standstill.

[Adam]OK right, so I assume this will allow for fast acceleration than? [Erik]Yes that’s right. For bus drivers it almost feelslike they are driving a passenger car.You can imagine the fluid will move smoothly withoutany interruptions. If you add to this Continue Power shifting –a technology continuously movingsets of planetary gears –you will have no power drops and the bus runs very smoothly.With manuals or automated manualsthe power drops between shifts and therefore more likely will result in a more bumpy ride.

Adam]So with a fully automic transmission you will have a comfortable ride, minimizing the risk of spilling coffee on someone or mistyping on theirlaptop!

[Erik]Exactly, you got it!

 [Adam]Thanks Erik. Crisp and clear.Meltem,Now that we have a better understanding of fully automatic transmissions, let’s shift gears☺to another challenge in the passenger transportation and truck industry, clean air! When I read the news, more and more cities put up diesel bans to reduce emissions and polution and I see more and more of my neigbours and friends driving electric cars. What technology can you offer to bus fleet who want to drive cleaner?

[Meltem]Allison is currently in the market with an electric hybrid propulsion systemcalled eGen Flex, as well as a full portfolio of electric axles, the eGen Powerfamily. Since not one product fits all we have different solutions depending on the situation. Take for example a Coach or Tour bus, which often commutes long distances between cities and then has to drop off passengers in the city center. Today the battery technology will not provide sufficient range to run on a battery the full day. This is where our eGen Flex hybrid can come in which can flexibly run on diesel for the long distance and then switch to full electric mode when entering a city and driving without any emissions.

[Meltem]Well -with the battery technology today –you cannot fit enough batteries in a coach bus for those long distance routes. For this type of long haul missions a hybrid –combining conventional with electric -can be a good interim solution. However, for these long range applications, similar to long haul trucks, we also see the market is developing commercial vehicles based on hydrogen technology. The fuel cells in those hydrogen buses are the energy source which you can connect with an electric motor. This is where the eGenPower e-axle comes into play.

Adam]Can you maybe explain more how an e-axle works? I can imagine me as a laymen and the people watching need some help here to understand. Meltem]Sure I can explain with this 3D model of the e-axlehere on the table.In a conventional powertrain you have an engine, transmission, driveshaft, axle and exhaust pipe, which all takes quite some time to assemble plus it takes up a lot of spaceand has quite some efficiency losses.With an e-Axle all key components, such as the electric motor, gearbox, inverter, cooling, axle legs and wheel ends are integrated into one solution you can fit between the wheels. It is a bolt-in solution compatible with vehicle frames or –for buses –monocoque bus bodies and is well suiting OEM vehicle assembly processes. The space you save will also allow more space for battery or fuel cell energy packs.

Adam]Wow, what a fascinating solution and what a nice piece of engineering. I can imagine you will need a lot of power to get a coach bus fully loaded with travelersand heavy luggage moving!?

[Meltem]You are absolutely right. The e-axle familycan handle heavy duty commercial vehicles and ranges from 10t rear axle load up to 13t. As you can see here on the 3D model, the e-axle has two very powerful electric motors, each achieving over 240kW continuous and a peak power of more then 320kW. With two of these motors in our axle, we're able to put down more power than a Lamborghini Aventador -so heavy loaded coach buses as you indicate powered by our e-axles will really be able to accelerate! In addition, we combine this with a 2 speed gearbox which enables uncompromised performance for low speed gradeability and high top end speed. Imagine a fully loaded coach trying to get uphill on some of these zigzag roads inthe mountains of Switzerland, France or Spain...

[Adam] Yes I can imagine. What a power you need! And amazing to hearthese solutions are already available now. Thank you so much Meltem! [Adam]Now switching to our guests here in the studio Rik and Janfrom Alk Travel Creators.Can you tell us a bit more about yourself, what you doand your company?

[Rik]Hi Adam, I am Rik Gaens. Together with my brother Geert, we run “Alk Reismakers” or in English “Alk Travel Creators”. It is our passion to create and organize memorable and tailor made trips for companies, associations, clubs and private individuals. Whether it’sfor an inspirational tour in China with 40 super market managers or a travel safely to Paris with 130 final-year school students for two days, we develop a trip travelers not forget.

[Jan]Hi, I am Jan Willemsand I have been a bus & coach driver with Alk Reizen for more than xyz years. I recently started counting, and over the years I must have driven more than 999.999 kilometers mostly across Europe

[Adam]Wow that’s impressive. So it is an understatement you have quite some experience driving those buses. Can you maybe share with us what Allison fully automatics brough to you?
 [Jan]Absolutely. I remember the day well when I drove myfirst coach with an Allison/fully automatic. I grew up with driving manuals, but when I drove the bus with an Allisson it was a great experience. Driving with both hands on the wheels, no pain in my left foot after a day at work. It was amazing. It was not only comfortableto drive,it was also very easyto drive and maneuver. It almost felt I was driving in my passenger car, so easy it was to drive and how quickly a heavy coach bus could accelerate was really a unique experience for me.

Adam]So I imagine that everyone drove an Allison in your team?!

[Jan]
I remember one day I was sitting in the canteen and heard some colleagues already arguing “who was going to drive the Allison bus” in the next shift.


[Adam]Well that for sure tells there is something magic about having an automatic on board!With all those years of experience, do you maybe have an interesting story to share? [Jan]Well don’t get me started ☺I have a story toshareis about the level of control I haveover my bus. Normally in busy cities, near hotels there is often no good space to park. I remember one day in Munich. I dropped of a bus full of persons for a medical congress. The street was very busy so I couldnot stop in the middle of the street and there was only one slot left between two cars. People were watching and called me crazy. But with the fully automatic I had so much control over my bus that I could manage to maneuver very precisely between a few centimeters from the car in front and in the back. And I made it, being able to rely on the perfect control I had in crawling mode when parking the bus. I remember the whole group I just dropped off were applauding. That’s a day I never forget.

[Adam]Thanks for sharing this story Jan. So Rik, what does fully automatics bring to you as a fleet ownerof Alk Travel Creators?

 [Rik]Well on top of the smooth drive and great maneuverability for our driversas Jan mentioned, for us as a owner we are very happy because the fully automatics have an unrivalled reliability. Because the automatics are fully hydrodynamic the wear and tear of componentsand the complete drivetrainis brought to a minimum. We only need to replace oil filters and refresh the fluids but other than that our buses keep running and our Total Cost of Ownership is minimized.

[Adam]OK so your total cost per mile go down. Is there anything else which will bring the cost down?

[Rik]Well what is also helping to reduce wear and tear of the service breaks is the retarder. Through the fully hydraulic retarder on the transmissions you can slow down by simply releasing the throttle. This saves use of the servicebreaks, especially when you drive down the hill! Retarder is a great solution I would recommend anyone with a bus!

[Adam]Now that we have learned more about the bus application and the technology, let’s hear from some persons who experienced driving in some busesequipped with fully automatics.Yesterday, I was able to interview some visitors atAllison’s Experience Center in Hungary whodid a ride & drive.Let’s see what they have to say! INTERVIEWS:


[Adam]
Hello Murat,thank you for taking the time to talk to us during this ride & drive event and welcome to the show!I understand you work for Anadolu Isuzu. Can you maybe short introduce yourself and your company? INTERVIEW SLEIPNIR HERHALING:

[Adam]And now let's continue our journey exploring some of these extreme vehicles. Let’s movefrom the warm and sunny Johannesburg to the freezing cold Icelandwhere we spoke with Astvaldur Oskarsson about some of the coolest buses I have seen in my life! [Adam]Hi, I am Adam and welcome again to Studio Allison brought to you by Allison(Transmission), a global technology company specialized in automatic transmissions, electric hybridand electric propulsion solutions.This is the place where we will share some interesting stories and exceptional bus & coach applications. We will also tune in on how you can keep your critical business, fleet, crew and passengers moving. 24/7. 365 days a year. When downtime is not an option! [Adam]With this last topic we came at the end of this show!Thanks everyone for watching Studio Allison today, where we explored the interesting world of buses and coaches! I hope to see you again next time. Stay tuned for more! Have a great day and see you soon again at Studio Allison.