School districts can now further optimize fuel economy on Blue Bird
diesel buses
FORT VALLEY, Ga.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Blue Bird Corporation has announced a new product offering for their new
buses ordered on or after May 1, 2017 with Allison transmissions:
FuelSense 2.0®, featuring DynActive™ Shifting.
This is a software update to their previous FuelSense® offering, which
allows fleets to optimize fuel economy and performance to their specific
needs.
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“We are excited to see Allison’s response to our customers’ needs, by
offering them ways to help increase fuel economy,” said Mark Terry,
chief commercial officer at Blue Bird Corporation. “We look forward to
seeing the savings districts experience with this calibration offering.”
FuelSense 2.0 is an upgrade from the previously offered FuelSense, and
has packages tailored to different driving conditions that Blue Bird
school buses face each day. The new FuelSense 2.0 technology uses
DynActive Shifting to provide an infinitely variable combination of
shift points, and uses a learning algorithm to continuously find the
ideal balance of fuel economy and performance. It provides maximum value
for applications with heavy start-stop needs, such as school buses.
“We have tested FuelSense 2.0 with customers in a variety of duty
cycles, accumulating more than 3 million miles,” said Randy Kirk, senior
vice president of product engineering and product teams at Allison.
“There were fuel economy gains of up to 6 percent. This improvement
resulted in a potential vehicle savings of $300 to $900 annually based
on the application, annual mileage and fuel price.”
There are three available packages, including FuelSense 2.0, FuelSense
2.0 Plus and FuelSense 2.0 Max – which all include DynActive Shifting.
FuelSense 2.0 Plus and Max include Neutral at Stop, and FuelSense 2.0
Max includes enhanced Acceleration Rate Management.
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Improved ‘Neutral at Stop’ – This feature lowers fuel consumption and
emissions by reducing or eliminating the load on the engine when the
vehicle is stopped. Two versions are available: (1) Standard –
Provides partial (first-level) Neutral at Stop, or (2) Premium –
Provides full Neutral at Stop and a new, low-speed coasting
capability. Both versions feature a locked output at stop to prevent
rollback.
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Enhanced ‘Acceleration Rate Management’ – This feature mitigates
aggressive driving by automatically controlling engine torque. Newly
updated, in addition to five levels of control currently available, it
provides more precision by limiting vehicle acceleration to a
customized rate.
“Allison is constantly working towards improved fuel economy, and this
latest technology further reduces fuel consumption in all segments of a
bus’ duty cycle,” said Heidi Schutte, vice president of marketing and
sales for the Americas with Allison Transmission. “FuelSense 2.0 offers
increased specification flexibility and delivers the best economic value
to our customers.”
New Blue Bird buses with Allison Transmissions are now available with
FuelSense 2.0 options. To learn more about FuelSense 2.0, visit allisontransmission.com/fuelsense.
About Blue Bird Corporation: Celebrating their 90th
year in business, Blue Bird (Nasdaq: BLBD) is the leading independent
designer and manufacturer of school buses, with more than 550,000 buses
sold since its formation in 1927 and approximately 180,000 buses in
operation today. Blue Bird’s longevity and reputation in the school bus
industry have made it an iconic American brand. Blue Bird distinguishes
itself from its principal competitors by its singular focus on the
design, engineering, manufacture and sale of school buses and related
parts. As the only manufacturer of chassis and body production
specifically designed for school bus applications, Blue Bird is
recognized as an industry leader for school bus innovation, safety,
product quality/reliability/durability, operating costs and drivability.
In addition, Blue Bird is the market leader in alternative fuel
applications with its propane-powered and compressed natural gas-powered
school buses. Blue Bird manufactures school buses at two facilities in
Fort Valley, Georgia. Its Micro Bird joint venture operates a
manufacturing facility in Drummondville, Quebec, Canada. Service and
after-market parts are distributed from Blue Bird’s parts distribution
center located in Delaware, Ohio. For more information on Blue Bird’s
complete line of buses, visit www.blue-bird.com.
About Allison Transmission:Allison Transmission (NYSE: ALSN) is
the world's largest manufacturer of fully automatic transmissions for
medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles, and is a leader in
hybrid-propulsion systems for city buses. Allison transmissions are used
in a variety of applications including refuse, construction, fire,
distribution, bus, motorhomes, defense and energy. Founded in 1915, the
company is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA and employs
approximately 2,600 people worldwide. With a market presence in more
than 80 countries, Allison has regional headquarters in the Netherlands,
China and Brazil with manufacturing facilities in the U.S., Hungary and
India. Allison also has approximately 1,400 independent distributor and
dealer locations worldwide. For more information, visit allisontransmission.com.
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Blue Bird Corporation
Justyne Lobello, 478-396-3487
Product
Communications & Marketing Manager
[email protected]
or
Allison
Transmission
Craig Koven, 317-242-3432
Corporate Affairs &
Communications
[email protected]
Source: Blue Bird Corporation