Allison Transmission Partners with Rally Winner to Develop Fully Electric Truck

Allison Transmission said it has formed a three-year partnership agreement with Team de Rooy, a multiple-race winner of the world-famous Dakar Rally, to develop electric trucks for motorsport competitions.

Testing is scheduled to begin on an electric 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 2023. Allison’s 4000 Series fully automatic transmissions, equipped with an integral retarder designed to extend the life of brakes and reduce maintenance requirements and costs, will be integrated into Team de Rooy’s new electric truck. Designed to enable smooth and efficient operation in heavy-duty vehicles, the 4000 Series is an easily adopted propulsion solution for applications including construction vehicles, refuse trucks and fire trucks. The Allison 4000 Series transmission has already been coupled with an electric motor in the Hyundai XCIENT, the world’s first hydrogen-electric heavy-duty truck, which went into production in 2020.

“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,” said Tanner Gider, managing director of Europe and South Africa sales for Allison. “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. 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.”