LOUISVILLE, Ky.听鈥 Eaton Corp. executives said the company has launched a new version of its UltraShift Plus automated manual transmission exclusively for Navistar Inc., designed to maximize fuel efficiency in linehaul applications.
To be released jointly by the two companies, the new 16-speed direct-drive AMTs are designed with a small 17% step between gears to optimize time in a diesel engine鈥檚 most efficient RPM zone and help reduce fuel consumption, company officials said here at the Mid-America Trucking Show.
The transmission鈥檚 direct-drive design 鈥渂oosts the efficiency of the transmission gear train to further promote excellent fuel consumption,鈥 said Shane Groner, North America product planning manager for Eaton鈥檚 commercial vehicle transmission division.
鈥淔uel economy is the name of the game,鈥 Groner told Transport Topics following a press conference at the annual trucking show.
The company said that all the other features and benefits of its UltraShift Plus are included in the newest addition to its lineup.
The new UltraShift Plus LSE听鈥斕齠or linehaul small-step efficiency听鈥 units will be released initially with听Navistar鈥檚 proprietary MaxxForce 13-liter selective catalytic reduction engines on International brand vehicles, and followed shortly thereafter with Cummins ISX15 engines, Eaton said.
鈥淔uel economy has been the cornerstone of the International ProStar [tractor], and with the collaboration with Eaton on the 16-speed direct-drive automated transmission, we鈥檙e able to deliver even more tangible fuel economy benefits to our customers,鈥 said Steve Gilligan, Navistar鈥檚 vice president of marketing.
Eaton executives also said at the press conference that听the company鈥檚 recently announced was 鈥済etting a lot of attention from fleets.鈥
