By Gary S. Vasilash

While it is easy to take for granted things like automatic transmissions in vehicles of all types, Allison Transmission has announced it is working with Volare, the leading manufacturer of minibuses in Brazil, to equip “South America’s first school buses with fully automatic transmissions.”

Sidnei Vargas da Silva, Volare’s Domestic Market Business Manager:

“The introduction of Allison’s fully automatic transmissions in school buses in Brazil will be revolutionary in the progress of school transportation.”

Who would have thought that in 2024 a step-gear transmission could be considered “revolutionary”?

Puts things in perspective.

The 320 new buses, which will be fitted with Alllison Torqmatic transmissions and which are being financed by Brazil’s National Fund for Educational Development, are said to be more efficient to operate on roads that are characterized by mud, gravel or sand, which apparently is characteristic of the roads in the rural areas of northern and northeastern Brazil.

While it might be thought that all school buses in the U.S. are equipped with automatics, according to Schoolbusfleet.com, the transmissions are “prevalent in most school buses” and while manuals are “less common,” they are not nonexistent.