NOVI, Mich. — Blue Bird is making standard the integration of Prestolite Electric’s Leece-Neville PowerPro Extreme 5, a 12V replacement starter, on several of its school buses.

The Leece Neville PowerPro Extreme 5, designed for medium-duty diesel engines up to 10 liters, will be standard on Blue Bird's Vision, All American FE Diesel, and All American RE Diesel school buses, according to a news release from Prestolite Electric. Additionally, the supplier’s IdlePro and IdlePro Extreme alternators will continue to be standard on these Blue Bird bus models.

The Blue Bird bus models with the PowerPro Extreme 5 bus starter as standard include applications running a Cummins ISB 6.7L engine (beginning July 2019) or a Cummins ISL engine (beginning Oct. 2019). Engineered specifically for the dynamic operating concerns of school buses, the PowerPro Extreme 5 starter motors deliver starting power in virtually any environment and can also help reduce overall operating costs and maintenance-related downtime, according to the supplier.

In addition, each PowerPro Extreme 5 starter includes a sealed noseless design that protects against dust, oil, and other contaminants, and an electrical soft-start relay that allows the pinion to properly engage the ring before cranking, according to the supplier. The starters, which weigh less than 22 pounds, are also engineered with a planetary gear reduction design and integral magnetic switch (IMS) technology to help eliminate voltage drops.

To learn more about the PowerPro Extreme 5 starters and other PowerPro products, go here.