Iveco to deliver fire trucks with customised Allison transmissions

Iveco Eurocargo Euro 6 equipped with the customised Allison transmission (Photo: Allison)

Fire agencies in Australia are set to benefit from the addition of new, customised Iveco Eurocargo vehicles, some of which feaure customised transmissions. The fleet will be used to support emergency response teams as they fight bush fires across a series of states.

The Euro 5 and Euro 6 vehicles have been engineered to suit the local conditions. Summer in Australia can be very dry, with very high temperatures.

Also, the trucks can be required to operate on rugged terrain with very steep hills. Firefighting crews can sometimes have to work on 35% grades.

To determine the best setup for this working environment, vehicles were tested with automated manual transmissions (AMTs) and a fully-automatic 3000 Series models from Allison Transmission. The comparison was used to measure the most effective way to reduce vehicle speed during a controlled hill descent.

The automatic Allison transmission for the Euro 5 part of the order was customised with input and output function for the transmission control module, with a combination of exhaust brake, lock up and retarder adjustments.

“For the trials we started with a [standard] Allison 3000 Series in Iveco’s Eurocargo ML150 Euro 5,” said Allison Transmission Australia & New Zealand sales manager, Robert Cavagnino.

“That transmission was reworked via our local channel partner to perform similar to a 3500 transmission by altering the calibration. A physical gear ratio change, from close to wide ratio, provided a deeper first gear, further optimising the vehicle’s performance and meeting the request of better driver control.”

The customised Allision transmission allowed drivers to smoothly creep down very steep descents, supported by gearing and braking systems. The system helps support safe control in drivers of all experience levels.

Heavy Automatics national sales manager Garth Ryan (left) and Allison’s Robert Cavagnino (Photo: Allison)

Due to the success of testing with the customised trucks, 90 Euro 5 vehicles with the reworked drivetrain have been ordered. A further 25 Euro 6 trucks (with standad 3500 Series transmissions) have been ordered directly from the factory based on demand.

“Considering these vehicles need to be in service for a minimum of 20 years, we wanted a configuration suitable for volunteers – some of which haven’t been born yet! I truly believe that with this truck and fully automatic transmission we’ve achieved that,” said Emiliano Foieri, Iveco product manager.

“By instilling more confidence in the emergency service personnel on challenging terrain, we make their whole job easier,” added Cavagnino. “A lot of people who work for fire services are volunteers, and a fully-automatic transmission protects from misuse of the drivetrain – giving greater service life [to] these important fire ground assets protecting the community in stressful times.”