Métropole d’Aix-Marseille-Provence has carried out an independent test for 18 months on four refuse vehicles to assess the performance of Allison Transmission’s FuelSense 2.0 software.
This test demonstrated the performance of the latest version of this software, with fuel savings of up to 12%.
FuelSense 2.0 software was installed in four Renault Trucks D 4×2 vehicles, equipped for refuse collection. Eco mode was activated in the software instead of the Performance mode, enabling the vehicles to travel an average of 745 miles per month – or 13,048 miles each during the duration of the test. In addition to the significant fuel savings, CO2 emissions were reduced on all four vehicles by almost five tons, while maintaining vehicle performance.
“The price of fuel encourages us to study all possible solutions to reduce our consumption. By performing this test, we did not expect such savings: 12% is more than significant. The feedback we have from drivers is very positive – the vehicles have kept their performance,” says Stanislas Kogut-Kubiak, maintenance manager at Métropole d’Aix-Marseille-Provence.
Based on this test, the municipality has chosen to install FuelSense 2.0 on 24 other vehicles in its fleet to reduce its fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
The results of this test are consistent with an independent 2019 study conducted by the Fife Council in the U.K. A six-month test was carried out on two Mercedes-Benz Econics refuse vehicles. These vehicles worked in two shifts from Monday to Friday, with different types of waste and traveled 13,048 miles. For six months, the fuel savings on these vehicles averaged 9%.
Allison Transmission’s FuelSense 2.0 software features DynActive Shifting. At the heart of this technology is an algorithm that continuously assesses driving conditions to best adjust gear changes. This algorithm takes into account different factors, such as vehicle weight, road gradient or the frequency of stops and starts.
Photo: A French refuse truck equipped with Allison Transmission’s FuelSense 2.0 software
