IC Bus LLC says it will be introducing a propane autogas fuel option for its CE Series full-size school bus beginning next year. The bus will feature Power Solutions International's (PSI) 8.8-liter propane engine.
IC Bus, a subsidiary of Navistar Inc., notes that the purpose-built propane-powered CE Series is designed to provide diesel-like performance with higher torque at lower engine speeds. With a rating of 565 ft.-lb. at 1,500 rpm, the high torque-low speed design benefits stop-and-start applications to allow immediate acceleration after stops and greater hill-climbing capability.
‘Until now, the propane vehicle market had been supported by underpowered engines that are required to run at high speeds to get the required power,’ says Gary Winemaster, chairman and CEO of PSI. ‘The PSI 8.8-liter engine is an economic, low-speed solution that boasts diesel-like performance, high durability, reduced noise and overall wear with all the benefits of alternative fuels.’
The CE Series school bus powered by propane also integrates the Allison 2500 transmission with FuelSense to maximize fuel economy.
IC Bus will manufacture CE Series school buses with propane out of its school bus assembly plant in Tulsa, Okla. Deliveries will begin in summer 2015, and buses will go into service for the start of the 2015/2016 school year.
