Prentice of Haddington has replaced automated manual transmissions in a number of its Alexander Dennis Enviro200 buses with fully-automatic Allison xFE units.
The programme commenced in January. It has been undertaken to reduce costs over the remaining lives of the buses concerned and to deliver what Allison says is an enhanced experience for passengers and drivers. The East Lothian operator has seen fuel economy improve by “around 1mpg” since the reengineering, says Managing Director Ross Prentice.
Allison’s xFE units major on fuel efficiency and include earlier engagement of the torque converter lockup clutch, which the OEM says allows the vehicle to spend more time where it is most efficient.
The Prentice buses concerned were previously upgraded to Euro VI compliance with the help of Transport Scotland funding and the operator is thus keen to keep them in service for as long as possible.
Speaking about the decision to change the Enviro200 gearboxes, Mr Prentice adds: “We prefer Allison because its transmissions are very smooth, relatively simple, nice and easy for drivers to use and give us very little trouble.
“We had been wanting to move the current fleet over to fully automatics for some time, as we had heard about the fuel economy advantages of the xFE range. There have been other benefits, too. The buses are much smoother and easier to drive. It is like driving an automatic car, which makes a big difference, particularly in stop-start traffic.”
