Allison Transmission, a leading designer and manufacturer of conventional and electrified vehicle propulsion solutions with an electrification engineering center in Auburn Hills, announced a three-year partnership agreement with Team de Rooy, multiple-race winner of the famous Dakar Rally, to develop electric trucks for motorsports.
Testing will be completed on an electric racing truck equipped with a conventional Allison transmission in early 2022, ahead of the vehicle’s competition debut at the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia in January of 2023.
“Allison 4000 Series transmissions are purpose-built for durability and productivity, proven to perform in demanding conditions, and there is no motorsport competition on earth more demanding than Dakar,” says Tanner Gider, managing director of Europe and South Africa sales at Allison Transmission.
The 4000 series transmission will be integrated into Team de Rooy’s new electric truck. It is designed to enable a smooth and efficient operation in heavy-duty vehicles. The new truck won’t be the first integration of an Allison 4000 series transmission to an electric motor, with the Hyundai XCIENT that went into production in 2020.
“Dakar and other rally raid events are really tough on mechanical components, especially the suspension, axles and gearbox,” says Gerard de Rooy, managing director, De Rooy Transport. “By integrating robust, durable transmissions from Allison, our trucks can effectively operate on difficult terrain including hard surfaces and loose sand. We’re thrilled to have Allison’s support in our plans to adopt electric vehicles.”
Another advantage of the transmissions is Allison’s patented torque converter, which multiplies engine and motor power at launch to significantly improve startability, resulting in higher operational productivity through enhanced performance.
This will allow Team de Rooy’s electric rally truck to use a smaller drive motor to optimize efficiency and weight, freeing up space and weight to dedicate to batteries and improve performance going up and down sand dunes. Self-learning algorithms in Allison Automatics continually optimize engine and motor speed and torque level, maximizing efficiency and minimizing energy use in electric motors.
“We see electrification as an exciting opportunity to build upon the innovation Allison has become known for since its inception more than 100 years ago,” says Gider. “We’re proud to partner with Team de Rooy to provide a robust electrified propulsion solution designed to achieve optimized fuel economy, maximized performance, and reduced emissions.”
Allison recently expanded its electrification portfolio by introducing the eGen Power series of electric axles for the truck and bus markets. The e-Axles are fully integrated electric powertrains designed replace conventional driveline components including axles, engines, and transmissions in Class 6-8 trucks.
