SAN DIEGO, March 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- IC Bus, a
subsidiary of Navistar, is taking its electric school bus, chargE™,
on the road for the first time. The 2018 national tour begins with
its first stop at the California Association of School
Transportation (CASTO) State Board of Directors 50th
Annual Meeting in San Diego,
Calif.
On the first leg of the tour, chargE will visit more than 10
locations throughout the West Coast to provide an up close and
personal opportunity for bus industry stakeholders to experience
the electric IC Bus® CE Series concept school bus
developed with Navistar's alliance partner, Volkswagen Truck &
Bus.
"We're excited to showcase our electric school bus with industry
stakeholders on the West Coast and throughout the country," said
Trish Reed, vice president and
general manager, IC Bus. "Our electric school bus is another
example of how IC Bus is driving the future of school bus
transportation. In addition to providing our customers with an
electric school bus vehicle, we're focused on giving them a total
electric transportation solution."
The national tour will include scheduled stops at trade shows,
school visits, and local government events throughout the country,
including locations in and around Sacramento, Seattle, San
Francisco and Los Angeles,
to provide customers with high-touch learning events with
chargE.
"Taking chargE out on the road and visiting communities across
America is at the heart of what we do here at IC Bus," noted Reed.
"While we will showcase the latest technology and innovation that
helps to make the job of a driver easier and more satisfying, we
will listen to our customers and use their feedback to help us
further inform and enhance our design and product. It's part of a
philosophy that we call DriverFirst™."
The chargE concept electric school bus incorporates a common
group electric drivetrain from Volkswagen Truck & Bus that is
quiet, does not produce any emissions, and can be built to address
any school bus customer's specific requirements. The range of the
chargE can exceed 120 miles, while the powertrain can deliver up to
260 kW (about 349 peak horsepower).
As an early example of Navistar's alliance with Volkswagen Truck
and Bus, which will also include a previously announced electric
medium-duty truck for the North American market, the chargE brings
together multiple concepts and technologies that will shape the
school bus of the future. It also includes camera technology,
connected systems and remote diagnostics that support vehicle
safety, uptime, and more efficient vehicle inspections.
"As the only OEM that offers a fully integrated electric school
bus, we're excited to introduce this vehicle to our customers,"
stated Reed. "Customers can rest assured that their long-term
investment in our electric school bus will be backed by two global
Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and the industry's
strongest North American dealer network."
The company originally unveiled the chargE at the 2017 National
Association for Pupil Transportation Annual Conference and Trade
Show, and will be launched as early as late 2019 or early 2020. The
chargE was designed to give customers a zero-emissions school bus
option while lowering the total cost of ownership and offering
user-friendly options.
To learn more about the electric bus tour and the IC Bus CE
Series electric-powered school bus and many more purposeful
innovations, visit an IC Bus dealer or online at
www.icbus.com/electricbustour.
About Navistar
Navistar International Corporation
(NYSE: NAV) is a holding company whose subsidiaries and affiliates
produce International® brand commercial and military
trucks, proprietary diesel engines, and IC Bus® brand
school and commercial buses. An affiliate also provides truck and
diesel engine service parts. Another affiliate offers financing
services. Additional information is available at
www.Navistar.com.
All marks are trademarks of their respective
owners.
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SOURCE IC Bus