Navistar’s IC Bus recently unveiled its fully integrated Type A school bus, the IC Bus AE Series, to customers, dealers and the media at an event at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Ore. The fully integrated IC Bus AE Series features a proprietary design that allows for bumper-to-bumper coverage for customers to have a single point of contact with the IC Bus network. IC Bus says this one-stop-shop approach provides everything bus operators need throughout the lifecycle of the bus, including financing, parts, service and warranties.
“With the introduction of our new AE Series Type A school bus, we are now able to provide school bus operators and contractors with a complete portfolio of integrated buses that will meet the diverse needs of school districts across the country,” says John McKinney, IC Bus president. “With the one-stop-shop approach and comprehensive level of support offered from IC Bus, school bus operators won’t have to settle for less.”
The AE Series shares a platform with the IC Bus AC Series commercial bus, which was introduced earlier this fall. The AE Series features frame rails rated to 80,000 psi and 16-gauge steel side sheets for added body strength. It also brings added serviceability with its full-tilt hood, allowing for unobstructed access to the engine compartment.
The AE Series bus is powered by the lightweight, rugged 220-hp 6.4-liter MaxxForce 7 designed to deliver outstanding fuel economy and low overall cost of ownership. It combines a 28,000-psi (1,900-bar) high-pressure common-rail fuel system, dual sequential turbocharger system and a high-strength compacted graphite iron (CGI) block. The MaxxForce 7 is matched with an Allison 1000 Series transmission.
The MaxxForce 7 is built with MaxxForce Advanced EGR emissions technology that doesn’t’ require liquid urea. “The MaxxForce 7 V-8 will be a perfect fit for school bus operators, as it provides an efficient and reliable platform with the durability and reliability of a commercial truck,” McKinney says.
