LISLE, Ill. — IC Bus is expanding its medium-duty diesel engine offerings to include the Cummins L9 engine for its RE Series school bus.

The new nine-liter engine option will be available for the rear-engine Type D bus in 2017.

The 2017 L9 diesel is the newest generation of Cummins' L Series engines. It features a new Single Module aftertreatment system that is more compact and has greater thermal efficiency for improved engine operation, according to Cummins.

"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," said Trish Reed, vice president and general manager of IC Bus. "The addition of the L9 to the RE Series school bus provides customers with a winning combination of uptime, performance, and durability.”

The Cummins L9, which is rated up to 380 horsepower and 1,250 lb.-ft. of torque, reportedly offers flexible horsepower and torque ratings for bus applications.

“Because the RE is engineered to comply with the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) 500k baud regulatory standards, we can integrate advanced technologies, like cutting-edge engines, that require faster communication speeds on our buses,” Reed said.

IC Bus will add another engine choice in 2018 with the introduction of the Cummins B6.7 engine to the RE Series school bus. The 6.7-liter engine, which is rated up to 325 horsepower and 750 lb.-ft. of torque, is reportedly engineered for fuel efficiency, reliability, and durability.

Cummins introduced its 2017 L9 and B6.7 engines in March at the NTEA Work Truck Show.

The RE Series school bus with Cummins engines will be manufactured at the IC Bus assembly plant in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

In other news, IC Bus has developed a gasoline version of its Type C school bus.