MADRID – The City Council of Orense has acquired 15 NovoCITI LIFE eight-meter midi-buses equipped with Allison Torqmatic® Series fully automatic transmissions. The midi-buses were delivered by Ismael Gómez, Sales Director at Mobility Bus, importer and distributor of the ISUZU BUS brand in Spain and received by the City Council.

At the presentation event held on October 6, Ismael Gómez outlined the benefits of the innovative midi-bus. “This versatile, comfortable vehicle offers optimal passenger safety, and its excellent maneuverability makes it well suited to narrow streets and hills. It is the ideal bus for Orense, a city that was seeking a solution to transport small groups of passengers from the most remote areas to the city center quickly and flexibly,” said Gómez. “The plan is to put more buses on these routes to optimize results and provide the perfect solution to both the needs of the city and the transport requirements of these passengers. Equipping these midi-buses with Allison affords greater reliability, ease of driving and enhanced user safety on each trip.”

Allison fully automatic transmissions provide the midi-bus with an ideal combination of smooth shifting and fuel economy. “Allison's fully automatic transmissions have long been used in urban vehicles due to their efficiency and durability. They can be found in all types of buses, from 7 to 27 meters,” said Trond Johansen, Director, European Area Sales at Allison Transmission. “Amongst other benefits, they are designed to facilitate the continuous stop-start driving required on routes of this type. Moreover, Allison’s patented torque converter technology achieves great reliability and minimizes vehicle downtime, and eliminating the clutch greatly reduces maintenance costs, resulting in higher vehicle productivity and less time in the workshop.”

Isuzu and Allison: A Great Combination
The NovoCITI LIFE eight-meter, low-floor bus is extremely reliable with dimensions that make it surprisingly maneuverable. It can carry 60 passengers (39 standing and 21 seated) and features spaces for people of reduced mobility and ramps for passengers with disabilities. It also includes the most cutting-edge technological features in urban transport, such as a safety system to prevent collisions and accidents with pedestrians and cyclists.

The Allison T3270R xFE™ transmission, designed for commercial vehicles and small buses with gross vehicle weights up to 15,000 kilograms, enhances engine torque capacity to boost vehicle power output without increasing weight. The transmission features a very powerful integral hydraulic retarder that provides greater efficiency in braking and speed reduction.

Adaptive technology ensures optimum performance at all times, whilst enabling the transmission to address variations in driving conditions associated with different loads, drivers and traffic conditions. Moreover, xFE (Extra Fuel Efficiency) technology affords greater fuel efficiency by balancing performance with fuel economy.

Growing Presence in the Spanish Market
Passengers can enjoy the benefits of these vehicles in an increasing number of cities. "We presented the first units of this model in Spain in November 2019. In 2021, the first four vehicles were delivered to the Ponferrada City Council and have demonstrated their great versatility in the city. Five units have been delivered in Catalonia and are currently providing services in Barcelona and Girona, and several more of these vehicles are operating smoothly in a number of different provinces,” said Gómez. “I would emphasize that ISUZU has several models equipped with Allison fully automatic transmissions and that these vehicles are highly efficient and eminently recommendable. We have had no incidents in Spain, a fact worth highlighting."

About Allison Transmission
Allison Transmission (NYSE: ALSN) is a leading designer and manufacturer of vehicle propulsion solutions for commercial and defense vehicles, the largest global manufacturer of medium- and heavy-duty fully automatic transmissions, and a leader in electrified propulsion systems that Improve the Way the World Works. Allison products are used in a wide variety of applications, including on-highway trucks (distribution, refuse, construction, fire and emergency), buses (school, transit and coach), motorhomes, off-highway vehicles and equipment (energy, mining and construction applications) and defense vehicles (tactical wheeled and tracked). Founded in 1915, the company is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. With a presence in more than 150 countries, Allison has regional headquarters in the Netherlands, China and Brazil, manufacturing facilities in the USA, Hungary and India, as well as global engineering resources, including electrification engineering centers in Indianapolis, Indiana, Auburn Hills, Michigan and London in the United Kingdom. Allison also has approximately 1,600 independent distributor and dealer locations worldwide. For more information, visit allisontransmission.com.