COVER STORY


IC Bus Making History with First Fully-Integrated Type A Type A school buses with


have long been syn- onymous


the


cut-away van chassis. IC Bus changed that in the fall after an- nouncing the first-ever, fully-integrated Type A body and chassis.


IC Bus is calling the new AE Series more “rugged, durable and


dependable” and made no bones about bringing to market a Type A solution with at least a 10-year life cycle that is typically about double that of other Type As built on cutaway chassis. Te AE Se- ries also features frame rails rated to 80,000 PSI, a feature that IC Bus said will be “challenging any other manufacturer in the industry.” Te bus, expected to be available by late fall, also is manufactured with 16-gauge steel side sheets for added body strength. Te new bus competes with the Ford Super Duty series of


F550 trucks, especially as Ford is not producing a diesel engine this year, and the GMC Savana chassis. To stand out, making the Type A integration of body and chassis is a next logical step. IC selected an Allison 1000 transmission rather than an automatic


transmission found in van cut-aways. With a gross vehicle weight rating of 16,500 to 19,500 pounds the 96-inch wide steel body AE Series cries more of a truck than your mother’s or father’s Type A. But the IC AE Series also comes with soft-ride parabolic suspension and in 158-inch, 169-inch or 195-inch wheel base configurations, and IC is using truck brakes and suspension. Sev- eral NAPT attendees voiced the opinion that they were anxious to drive the new bus to gauge the handling characteristics. Te AE Series looks similar to the company’s Type B school


bus. Te heavier AE Series addresses improved serviceability with a full-tilt hood, allowing for unobstructed access to the engine compartment, which houses a 220-hp, MaxxForce 7 Advanced EGR diesel. IC representatives estimated that the V8 diesel en- gine powering the new Type A will show a 3 percent increase in fuel economy based on feedback from customers on current EPA 2010-compliant MaxxForce engines being used nationwide. “Te MaxxForce 7 V-8 will be a perfect fit for school bus op-


erators as it provides an efficient and reliable platform with the durability and reliability of a commercial truck,” said John McKinney, president of IC Bus, shortly before the AE Series was unveiled at the NAPT Summit in Portland, Ore., during a special event on Nov. 1. ■


36 School Transportation News Magazine January 2011


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