Allison Hybrid System to Be Offered in Orion VII Transit Buses

INDIANAPOLIS, Aug. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Allison Transmission, Inc., a leader in advanced hybrid technology, today announced that Allison Hybrid Systems will be offered in Daimler Buses North America's Orion VII transit bus.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100818/DE52188 )

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100818/DE52188 )

Orion stated that the Allison Hybrid H 40 EP™ is now being quoted for active bids and will be available in 2011.

"The Allison Hybrid System further enhances Orion's current hybrid leadership and now allows customers to specify which hybrid system is best suited for their specific needs," said Patrick Scully, chief commercial officer for Daimler Buses North America.

The Allison Hybrid H 40 EP is a two-mode parallel hybrid that operates automatically as a parallel hybrid or series hybrid. The continuously variable drive features an infinite number of ratios and automatically adjusts ratios to operate at optimum power curves, attaining the best performance and fuel economy.

Allison's Hybrid System is in operation around the world in approximately 3,500 buses and coaches that are providing over 250 million miles of reliable and low emission service. These hybrid buses are operating in over 160 cities worldwide, including the transit agencies of Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Seattle, Houston, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Baltimore, Vancouver and Yosemite National Park. They have traveled over 100 million miles without a single "end-of-life" battery failure and have saved an estimated 13.5 million gallons of fuel. They have also eliminated over 130,000 metric tons of CO2.

About Allison Transmission, Inc.

Allison Transmission, Inc. (Allison) is the premier global provider of commercial duty automatic transmissions and hybrid propulsion systems. Allison products are specified by over 250 of the world's leading vehicle manufacturers and are used in many market sectors including bus, refuse, fire, construction, distribution, military and specialty applications. Founded in 1915, the Allison business is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.A. and employs 3,000 people worldwide. Regional headquarters with dedicated support staff are located in China, The Netherlands, Brazil, India and Japan. With a global presence in 80 countries, Allison has over 1,550 distributor and dealer locations. More information about Allison is available at www.allisontransmission.com.

SOURCE Allison Transmission, Inc.