Eaton Corp. announced the commercial availability of its hybrid-electric power systems for Navistar’s IC Bus brand school buses. “School districts across the country are looking for ways to reduce their fuel cost and provide a greener footprint for their community without compromising passenger or driver comfort,” says Dimitri Kazarinoff, vice president and general manager for Eaton’s Hybrid Power Systems Division. ”With the Eaton hybrid system, they now have a proven option that has more than 100 million miles of real-world experience.”
Eaton says the IC Bus CE Series hybrid-electric school bus with hill-start assist can provide school districts with up to a 30 percent improvement in fuel economy, up to 35 percent reduction of NOx emissions and up to 85 percent reduction of diesel particulates. “We are pleased to incorporate Eaton’s proprietary hybrid system to improve fuel economy by up to 30 percent and significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” says John McKinney, president of IC Bus.
Eaton worked with IC Bus to design its hybrid system for school bus deployment. The hybrid system combines the MaxxForce DT with MaxxForce Advanced EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) with an electric motor that has a peak power output of 44 kilowatt. Through regenerative braking, battery charge is controlled to provide a steady supply of power, allowing for less wear and tear on brakes and additional operational savings. Eaton matches the system to an automated six-speed Eaton transmission and stores energy in lithium-ion batteries. IC Bus and Eaton back the hybrid system with a 5-year unlimited mileage warranty.
