KANSAS CITY, Mo. — IC Bus demonstrated the latest features for its CE and RE school buses at the National Association for Pupil Transportation (NAPT) trade show here on Tuesday.
“We were excited to exhibit at this year’s NAPT annual summit and showcase the latest innovation at IC Bus,” said Trish Reed, vice president and general manager of IC Bus. “Our customers want and value reliable, affordable, and safe bus options, and we had a number of technologies from over-the-air (OTA) programming to gasoline engines on display at this year’s summit that give our clients more choices to meet their school bus transportation needs.”
The following offerings and vehicles were on display:
Over-the-air programming
Earlier this year, IC Bus launched OTA programming of engine control modules (ECM). OTA programming of the bus’ ECM is designed to enable the bus driver, technician, or fleet manager to utilize a mobile interface to initiate engine programming to approved engine calibrations. This procedure can be performed at the customer's facility over a secure Wi-Fi connection. OTA is available for aftermarket purchase through IC Bus dealers for all IC Bus models, 2007 and newer, that are powered by Navistar proprietary engines. For new IC Bus school buses powered by Cummins engines, OTA will be available in early 2017.
Pre/post inspection tool
This semi-automated inspection tool is engineered to utilize IC Bus’ Diamond Logic software for quicker and more accurate pre- and post-trip inspections. The tool will be available in mid-2017.
New windows
The newly designed windows can minimize the effort needed to operate them and offer greater protection against leaking, according to IC Bus. The windows will be available in the spring of 2017.
Corrosion
60g/60g coated steel will change to 90g/90g coated steel on painted bus body panels, which leads to better corrosion protection, according to IC Bus. Customers can add this option to their buses in November 2016.
Gasoline-powered CE school bus
This bus is designed to make ownership more affordable and to provide easier maintenance for school districts and contractors. It will utilize Power Solutions International’s (PSI's) 8.8L V8 gasoline engine paired with commercial grade transmissions.
Propane-powered CE school bus
The CE Series with PSI’s propane engine is designed to provide diesel-like performance with higher torque at lower engine speeds.
RE Series school bus with Cummins L9 engine
"Adding the proven, market-accepted Cummins L9 to the RE Series is fundamental to our strategy to provide our customers with the broadest selection of mid-range diesel engines," Reed said. "The addition of the L9 to the RE Series school bus provides customers with a winning combination of uptime, performance, and durability.”
For more information on the complete line of buses and new technology offered by IC Bus, go to icbus.com or visit a local IC Bus dealer.
