The transmission manufacturer Allison Transmission will present its new 9-speed fully automatic transmission and the "Torqmatic" series at Busworld 2025. The transmissions of the Torqmatic series are automatic transmissions specially designed for buses. The new 9-speed fully automatic transmission has been installed in the Navigo Giga range by the Turkish manufacturer Otokar since 2023. It uses the same vehicle-manufacturer interfaces as its 6-speed predecessor and thus enables easy integration
into vehicles currently equipped with the "Allison 2000 Series".
According to Trond Johanson, Director of European Sales at Allison Transmission, the new Allison 9-speed transmission offers power and engine torque for applications up to 1,200 Newton-meters. Furthermore, the transition from six to nine gears is expected to lead to an improvement in gear ratio of more than 50 percent. This is achieved through a larger range of gear ratios
and smaller gear steps compared with an eight- or six-speed transmission. The new 9-speed full-automatic transmission is expected to offer high fuel efficiency and improved performance and to be suitable for urban driving.
In addition to the new fully automatic transmissions, Allison aims to expand its partnerships in the bus market. Allison has already introduced its fully automatic transmission technology in South America this year; in the USA, a
partnership with the Maryland Transit Administration has been formed to deploy hybrid systems in their buses. In Germany, MAN double-decker sightseeing buses were converted from diesel to electric drive and were also equipped with Allison fully automatic transmissions. Allison emphasizes that all of its fully automatic transmissions are compatible with alternative fuels such as compressed natural gas (CNG) or biogas, as well as with electric motors and hydrogen technology.
