The Micro Bird T-Series bus was unveiled at the Blue Bird booth. Company officials noted the Type A bus’ striking design, including a narrow body for enhanced maneuverability and optimum efficiency. According to Blue Bird, the new body’s aerodynamic features aid in increasing fuel economy by about 20% and offering low cost of operation. The bus is available lift-equipped in single and dual rear wheel with a capacity of up to 25 passengers under 10,400 pounds. Micro Bird is taking orders for the new line, with full production scheduled for spring 2015.

Thomas Built Buses is developing another alternative-fuel offering for its line of school buses: a compressed natural gas (CNG) Type C. The Saf-T-Liner C2 CNG is slated to go into production in the first quarter of 2016. It will be CARB-certified and will exceed EPA 2013 emissions requirements, according to the company. The bus will be powered by a Cummins Westport ISB6.7 G engine, with 200 to 240 horsepower, and an Allison 2500 transmission.

Trans/Air Manufacturing Corp. showcased its TM43 Transit Compressor at its booth. The TM43 is designed to provide high reliability and capacity only available from a transit compressor design for heavy duty split system and rooftop applications, company officials said. With a capacity of 80K (SAE)/128K (IMACA) BTU/hr, the TM43’s features include a 10 cylinder swash plate for smooth operation; heavy duty transit clutch in multiple configurations; flexible port and mounting design for easy installation; high and low pressure switches for protection; and compact/lightweight design enabling mounting directly to the engine.

A new advanced interior mirror system that is designed to enable “through the glass viewing” of a flush-mounted 7-inch high brightness LCD monitor/camera system was displayed at Tiger Mirror’s booth. The mirror glass component also provides a way to see the location of embedded LED warning lights that alert the bus driver of children or objects within 8 feet of the sides of or behind the bus, company officials said. The LEDs are activated by sensors mounted into the sides of the bus body.
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At the Lion Bus booth, the manufacturer debuted the eLion, its 100% electric, multi-function school activity bus. The 71-passenger eLion can fully recharge in five hours and can cover a range of 70 miles on a full charge, company officials said. The eLion is available on a Lion or Spartan chassis and offers 78 inches of headroom, according to the manufacturer. Features include ample indoor space, with wider aisles and wider seats; an ergonomic driver station; and a lifetime anti-corrosion body warranty, company officials said.

Collins Bus and Westport unveiled the new NEXBUS Type A school bus powered by compressed natural gas (CNG). The Collins bus is equipped with the Westport WiNG Power System and is built on a Ford E-450 chassis. Collins and Westport exhibited a chassis to allow attendees to see the Westport CNG system. The Collins Type A CNG school bus is EPA and CARB certified and is available for order at Collins dealer locations across the U.S. and Canada.

Seon showcased its all-in-one solution for student transportation. For routing, the web-based vMax Compass program (pictured) targets the planning of safe, efficient routes and provides access to student and vehicle information. For tracking, vMax Live Plus adds real-time vehicle data, GPS location and live video streaming capabilities, while vMax Trac records and reports student ridership. For video surveillance, the Explorer and Trooper systems record high-resolution video, while vMax View allows playback, review and archiving of on-board video footage.

Starcraft Bus introduced the Quest XL Type B bus at the NAPT Summit. This is the first and only Ford approved product built on an F-59 chassis, company officials said. The Quest XL boasts best-in-class driver visibility, neighborhood-friendly low profile and lowest first step entry height for easy passenger entry, according to Starcraft. The bus is also available in a gas engine with CNG or propane conversion available as an option.

247Security featured SACS (Stop-Arm Camera Systems), designed to offer a flexible method to deploy a stop-arm violation program, company officials said. When the school bus stop arm is activated, the system automatically detects vehicles passing the stopped bus. Using an image of the entire vehicle, a close-up of the license plate, geolocation and time data, the system creates a report that can be used for community education, as a deterrent program or as part of a revenue-generating citation plan, according to the company.