Prevost / Nova Bus to Offer FuelSense 2.0 Technology from Allison Transmission Beginning in March

Prevost / Nova Bus has announced that it will offer FuelSense 2.0 featuring DynActive Shifting beginning in March. The fuel-saving technology from Allison Transmission delivers up to 6 percent additional fuel savings beyond the company’s original FuelSense software.

Introduced in March 2014, Allison’s FuelSense packages enabled significant fuel economy improvements. Through a set of proprietary software enhancements, the new FuelSense 2.0 technology uses DynActive Shifting to provide an infinitely variable combination of shift points. Available in three packages, FuelSense 2.0 uses a learning algorithm to continuously find the ideal balance of fuel economy and performance.

“Much of Allison’s success has come from building transmissions tailored to specific applications rather than a one-size-fits-all approach,” said Heidi Schutte, vice president of marketing and sales for the Americas with Allison Transmission. “With FuelSense 2.0, we’ve taken this customization to a new level, giving vehicle builders more flexibility to offer the right blend of performance and fuel economy for their specific application.”

Providing maximum value for applications with heavy start-stop needs, FuelSense 2.0 is ideally suited for Nova Bus transit customers. With more than 3 million test miles in customer fleets representing a variety of duty-cycles, the fleets have experienced fuel economy gains up to 4 percent in transit buses and up to 6 percent in other vocations. This fuel economy improvement in transit buses resulted in an estimated annual per vehicle savings of up to $800 based on duty cycle, annual mileage and fuel price.

The available packages are FuelSense 2.0, FuelSense 2.0 Plus and FuelSense 2.0 Max. All three include DynActive Shifting. FuelSense 2.0 Plus and Max include improved Neutral at Stop. FuelSense 2.0 Max includes enhanced Acceleration Rate Management.

• Improved ‘Neutral at Stop’ – This feature lowers fuel consumption and emissions by reducing or eliminating the load on the engine when the vehicle is stopped. Two versions are available: (1) Standard – Provides partial (first-level) Neutral at Stop, or (2) Premium – Provides full Neutral at Stop and a new, low-speed coasting capability. Both versions feature a locked output at stop to prevent rollback. Optional Neutral at Stop with Coast Mode allows attainment of neutral at very low speeds as the vehicle comes to a stop using the service brakes.
• Enhanced ‘Acceleration Rate Management’ – This feature mitigates aggressive driving by automatically controlling engine torque. Newly updated, in addition to five levels of control currently available, it provides more precision by limiting vehicle acceleration to a customized rate.