Allison to Produce Hybrid Systems in Indianapolis

Allison EP-50 hybrid system

As a result of a collaboration with the Department of Energy (read grant), supplier Allison announced the dedication of a plant in Indianapolis for the production of a new hybrid propulsion system for trucks. Once the plant will become operational, the company will employ some 100 people and will spit out 20,000 commercial-duty hybrid propulsion systems per year.

The Department of Energy awarded last year, through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, a $62.8 million grant to Allison for the production of the system. Using that money, the supplier hopes it will be able to provide commercial trucks hybrid systems in 2013.

"Allison Transmission and the Department of Energy have worked together for many years in programs which have pushed transportation technology and resulted in the production of real products which benefit us all," Allison CEO Lawrence E. Dewey said at the dedication ceremony.

The hybrid propulsion system developed by Allison is used to capture kinetic energy on deceleration of the vehicle and use it afterwards to accelerate the vehicle. Working just like any other KERS system, Allison's technology is said to be able to provide fuel efficiency improvement of around 20-30 percent.

"Over $130 million is being invested in the renovation of this facility and the development of our new commercial hybrid truck product. We will deliver a new generation of hybrid propulsion solutions to the transportation industry," Dewey says.

Allison's work in this field is currently to be seen in some 3,000 buses which use similar, but older systems than the one described above. According to the company's data, 116,000 metric tons of CO2 have been prevented from reaching the atmosphere and 11.7 million gallons of diesel have been saved by the 3,000 buses since 2003.