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First European Contracts for Allison Two-Mode Heavy-Duty Hybrid System
20 September 2006
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| The Phileas hybrid tram from APTS will be launched in France using the GM Allison Hybrid System. |
GM’s Allison Transmission confirmed today at the Internationale Automobile-Ausstellung (IAA) commercial vehicle show that Polish bus manufacturer Solaris Bus & Coach Co. and Dutch guided-vehicle manufacturer APTS will use the advanced two-mode GM Allison Hybrid System.
The parallel-hybrid drivetrain offers bus manufacturers the opportunity to cut emissions, increase fuel economy and improve vehicle performance. More than 500 Allison diesel-electric hybrid bus systems are in service in the United States and Canada.
Solaris will apply the hybrid drive in its Urbino articulated bus. APTS will apply the hybrid systems in its Phileas guided articulated vehicle system in Northern France.
The GM Allison hybrid technology was chosen following extensive technical review and testing of competing solutions. It was found that the Allison system was significantly easier to integrate and saved around 1,500kg per vehicle compared with competitor solutions, allowing cost and emissions reductions and an increase in payload.
—Jos Jansen, Marketing Director from APTS
The GM Allison Hybrid System consists of the following components:
System Controllers. Two system controllers process information from system components and driver inputs, providing system command and control for precise vehicle propulsion and energy production. They also provide diagnostic and reprogramming functions.
Ev Drive Unit. This is a two-mode electrically variable transmission (EVT) with an input-split range and a compound-split range. Planetary gears, clutches, solenoids, valves and two motors create two continuously variable operating ranges. The motors act as variable clutches to accelerate, slow or hold the planetary gears.
The EV Drive unit. Energy storage system (ESS). The Allison system currently uses a NiMH energy storage system, which varies in size and design to suit vehicle type and vocation. Stored energy electrical energy is created during normal motor/generator operation and regenerative braking.
Dual Power Inverter Module (DPIM). The DPIM (Unit A and Unit B) converts electrical energy into alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC), depending on where it is to be used. The electric motor uses/produces AC and the battery uses/produces DC.
Gear Selector. The GM Allison Hybrid System gear selector is identical to the electronically controlled Allison automatic gear selectors—selecting D for forward and R for reverse.
The Allison transmission provided the starting point for the joint development of a light-duty two-mode hybrid drivetrain by GM, DaimlerChrysler and BMW.
September 20, 2006 in Europe, Fleets, Hybrids | Permalink | Comments (12) | TrackBack (0)
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Comments
It is actually further development of Toyota’s Sinergy drive, and according to test reports darn good one. Could it infringe Toyota patent rights? Nissan decided to buy a license for it…
Posted by: Andrey | Sep 20, 2006 11:07:15 PM
Everyone criticizing GM for not having hybrid cars on the market should read this. GM is a clear leader in hybrid bus and truck technology.
Posted by: zach | Sep 21, 2006 9:37:03 AM
How much does GM pay you Zach? The GM system is parallel-hybrid.
It doesn't match the efficiency of series-hybrid that's used by
other heavy-duty manufacturer.
Posted by: Dursun | Sep 21, 2006 1:31:39 PM
Is this the same drivetrain that performed so poorly in Seattle?
Posted by: Marc | Sep 21, 2006 5:43:18 PM
GM doesn't pay me anything, and I don't own any GM vehicles. I just see GM taking far more abuse than it should. I owned a series-hybrid Honda Civic and it worked fine, but it's a fairly modest upgrade on the basic auto drivetrain. I find it ridiculous how much flak GM and Ford take when they have been doing plenty of research and making real useful products, they just haven't had Hollywood types adopt their products like Toyota has. Incidentally, we have a number of GM's hybrid buses operating in my area and they work well.
Posted by: Zach | Sep 21, 2006 6:21:24 PM
Zach:
To be exact, GM Allison hybrid transmissions received high marks on this forum in previous discussions. They certainly lead the world (together with D-C Orion off-spin) in this market.
Posted by: Andrey | Sep 21, 2006 10:28:18 PM
It sounds like GM will be taking some of this large scale tech into Tahoes and Yukons. It will be interesting to see the numbers on performance, economy and sales for these.
Posted by: SJC | Sep 22, 2006 9:19:44 AM
The Civic was a parallel hybrid system as are all of the hybrid passenger cars on the road. Series maybe better in a stop and go situation but parallel is better in a vehicle that might cruse at a steady state, why go through the trouble of going mechanical to electrical to mechanical, you lose efficiency both times. Series hybrids make sense in larger vehicles such as rail road diesels because a transmission needed to do the job mechanically would be very large, heavy and bulky and end up less efficent than the electrical "transmission". In the RR diesels Rail Power is leading the hybrid charge and I think I heard GE is getting into mild hybrid diesel game.
Who is the other who makes a series hybrid bus so I can look them up and learn more.
Posted by: Tim Russell | Sep 22, 2006 9:26:07 AM
As Tim pointed out, passenger hybrids are parallel. However the Prius can operate in series mode partially.
That's why the Prius has higher EPA mileage for city driving than highway driving.
Posted by: Dursun | Sep 22, 2006 10:28:26 AM
APTS's Phileas hybrid tram looks like what I'd expect to see driving round in a future scape. At least they've consulted designers on how it should look as opposed to chucking new tech in old shells.
Looks fantastic in my oppinion. :)
Posted by: Noogums | Sep 22, 2006 10:49:59 PM
I can see this transmission being retrofitted into existing busses with Allison drivetrains. It should pay for itself.
Posted by: John Schreiber | Sep 26, 2006 7:05:34 AM
Honda hybrids use a parallel architecture, while Toyota, Lexus, and Ford hybrids employ a series-parallel architecture. For the Japanese market, Toyota builds series, parallel, and series-parallel hybrids.
Series-parallel architectures were not invented by Toyota. Their hybrid transaxles are based on a design invented by TRW engineers and developed between 1968 and 1971.
For more information, go to:
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2005/11/hiccups_on_the_.html
Posted by: Jack Rosebro | Sep 28, 2006 4:42:00 AM
