Why a Busan Local Switched to an Allison Fully Automatic Transmission After Driving a Manual for 17 Years

Sang Jin Lee, who has been driving a manual truck for 17 years, has been very satisfied since he purchased the Hyundai Mighty Auto truck with an Allison fully automatic transmission in August 2020

SEOUL, South Korea, March 2021 – Hyundai Motor's Mighty truck, equipped with Allison Transmission’s fully automatic transmission, is creating a sensation in the market. The Mighty Auto truck has sold 1,000 units over the last six months since it was mass-produced in June 2020 and is now quickly reaching 2,000 units.

Sang Jin Lee who lives in Busan Metropolitan City, purchased the 3.5-ton Mighty auto truck with an Allison fully automatic transmission in August last year. Lee delivers fresh food products to the BuUlGyeong (Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam) areas based on the complex logistics center in Yangsan city, Gyeongsangnam-do. He mainly supplies products such as vegetables, tofu, bean sprouts, and udon to supermarkets in the BuUlGyeong area. Lee, who has been in the pick-up & delivery industry for 17 years since purchasing the 2.5-ton Mighty manual truck in 2004, refers to his choice of the Allison fully automatic transmission as “the move of the century.” According to Lee, the Allison fully automatic transmission allows him to easily drive for six to eight hours a day, and has great fuel efficiency.

"From 2004 to 2020, I drove my manual truck for about 600,000 kilometers. By the time I had to change my car, I was told that Allison's fully automatic transmission was good. The option price of KRW 3 million seemed like a bargain in the long-term considering factors such as maintenance costs. As a result, I chose the auto vehicle without hesitation. I've been driving it for more than six months so far, and I’ve never experienced anything more comfortable. All I have to do is keep an eye on the front, and since gear shifts are unnecessary, I don’t even feel exhausted after driving long hours. Now that I am of a certain age, it has become difficult for me to drive a manual vehicle,” said Lee.

Lee also discussed the economic feasibility of the fully automatic transmission. "I drive about 150 kilometers a day for an average of six to eight hours. There has been a perception that the fuel efficiency of manual vehicles is better, but so far, there seems to be little difference between the two. Currently, the Mighty Auto truck seems to be driving about 5 to 6 kilometers per liter. I remember that the fuel efficiency is similar to when I drove the manual vehicle. Furthermore, auto vehicles do not require any replacements of consumables such as brake drums, pads, linings, and clutches, unlike manual vehicles, so maintenance costs are much lower. The option price is around KRW 3 million when selecting an auto vehicle, but I think it is more profitable in the long run. I'm currently driving with great satisfaction," said Lee.

Lee went on to predict that auto trucks will become a trend in the near future. "Even when I ask the drivers around me, there are many people who want to buy auto trucks upon changing cars in the future. An acquaintance of mine has already bought a Mighty auto truck last January. Auto vehicles are definitely more comfortable for driving in the city and for driving long distances. I have also been recommending auto vehicles to employees that work with me,” said Lee.

"I think it's very encouraging that customers are continuing to make a lot of purchases after auto vehicles entered the small to medium size truck market, which only had manual vehicles for a long time, last year,” said Kyoungmee Lee, Regional Director of Allison Transmission Korea.

The industry estimates that the market share of auto light vehicles in the domestic market to be about 25%.

Mar 30, 2021

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Allison Transmission (NYSE: ALSN) is a leading designer and manufacturer of vehicle propulsion solutions for commercial and defense vehicles, the largest global manufacturer of medium- and heavy-duty fully automatic transmissions, and a leader in electrified propulsion systems that Improve the Way the World Works. Allison products are used in a wide variety of applications, including on-highway trucks (distribution, refuse, construction, fire and emergency), buses (school, transit and coach), motorhomes, off-highway vehicles and equipment (energy, mining and construction applications) and defense vehicles (tactical wheeled and tracked). Founded in 1915, the company is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. With a presence in more than 150 countries, Allison has regional headquarters in the Netherlands, China and Brazil, manufacturing facilities in the USA, Hungary and India, as well as global engineering resources, including electrification engineering centers in Indianapolis, Indiana, Auburn Hills, Michigan and London in the United Kingdom. Allison also has approximately 1,600 independent distributor and dealer locations worldwide. For more information, visit allisontransmission.com.

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SOURCE Allison Transmission Holdings Inc.