Allison Transmission has integrated its Allison 4000 Series transmission with a Class 8 truck equipped with a hydrogen internal combustion engine (H2-ICE) displayed by Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) at SAE International’s Commercial Vehicle Engineering Congress (COMVEC) in Schaumburg, Ill.
The H2-ICE vehicle demonstrates emissions control capable of outperforming EPA/CARB 2027 and Euro 7 criteria pollutant emissions standards.
“The integration of our Allison 4000 Series in the H2-ICE vehicle demonstrates the critical role internal combustion engine (ICE) powertrain solutions can and will play in moving the industry closer to ultra-low emissions,” says Ryan Milburn, vice president, product engineering, Allison Transmission.
Allison fully automatic transmissions are fuel agnostic, offering optimal integration with any fuel source, including gasoline, natural gas, propane and hydrogen, delivering durability and reliable performance to strengthen sustainability initiatives without sacrificing fleet productivity and efficiency. To compensate for the lower power and slower engine response associated with alternative fuels, Allison’s power shift technology and torque converter improve startability, drivability and overall productivity, particularly as compared with other manual and automated manual transmissions (AMTs).
The truck is part of a broader initiative led by SwRI through its H2-ICE Consortium, which includes engine and truck manufacturers and Tier-I suppliers. Launched in November 2022, the consortium aims to demonstrate the potential of hydrogen-fueled internal combustion engines for decarbonizing transportation.
A vehicle with an H2-ICE achieves a 99.7% reduction in CO2 emissions compared with traditional diesel engines, qualifying these hydrogen-fueled vehicles as Zero CO2 Emissions Vehicles under future environmental standards in both the U.S. and Europe.