Allison Transmission has made several improvements to its 2010 model year medium- and heavy-duty commercial transmissions

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"We've always been committed to understanding and satisfying the needs of our customers, said Jim Wanaselja, vice president of marketing, sales and service for Allison Transmission North America. "That's why we constantly analyze, refine and improve our products and features."

To its Load-Based Shift Scheduling, Allison has added a new Super Economy Shift Schedule feature, which allows the LBSS to up-shift under cruising conditions to further improve fuel economy. LBSS automatically selects between economy and performance shift schedules based on the vehicle's actual payload and the grade on which it is operating.

The company has also boosted the horsepower and torque ratings on its Allison 1000/2000 Series models. Allison 1000/2000 Series transmissions with Shift Energy Management (SEM) are now rated up to 340 horsepower and 660 pounds-feet of torque, while those without have up to 300 horsepower and 575 pounds-feet of torque.

The 1000/2000 Series models for 2010 will now require less power to charge the oil lube distribution and main pressure system, due to hardware enhancements. A new Variable Modulated Main feature cuts main pressure when the clutch apply system does not require full main pressure. New wave friction plates reduce internal drag.

Allison has also rolled out a new Vehicle Acceleration Control feature, which works by limiting acceleration by controlling the amount of engine torque based on vehicle load. According to tests, the feature can result in fuel economy savings of up to 3 percent.

Allison B 300 and B 400 will also be equipped with Increased Lockup Availability, a feature that allows the transmission to shift into lockup in first range, and lockup stays on through first to second shift. To determine when to activate lockup, the transmission's electronic controls monitor acceleration.

More info: www.allisontransmission.com