IC Bus and Southland International Trucks will fulfill an order of 44 CE Series school buses by Franklin County Schools in Alabama, powered by the Power Solutions International (PSI) 8.8-liter LP propane engine.
“IC Bus is honored to partner with Southland International Trucks, Inc. in providing Franklin County Schools environmentally friendly, reliable and safe transportation,” says Trish Reed, vice president and general manager at IC Bus. “We are seeing strong sales of our propane-powered school buses throughout the country and this sale is another example of continued interest in our alternative powertrains to transport students to and from school.”
Purpose-built for the school bus industry, the CE Series with PSI propane engine is designed to provide diesel-like performance with higher torque at lower engine speeds. IC Bus says the high torque-low speed design greatly benefits stop-and-start applications to allow immediate acceleration after stops and greater hill climbing capability. This not only improves startability and gradability, but also eliminates excessive noise, heat and vibration associated with constant engine revving. Minimal revving reduces engine wear, oil usage and maintenance, while increasing durability and efficiency, the company says.
The buses are being built at the IC Bus assembly plant in Tulsa, Okla. Deliveries will begin in the summer of 2018 and will be complete in time for back-to-school transportation needs in the 2018-2019 school year.
“We chose IC Bus propane buses for our school transportation needs because we’ve done business with Southland International Trucks, Inc., for a long time and we trust them to be our partner in providing first-class products and service,” adds Donald Borden, Assistant Superintendent, Franklin County Schools. “We’re pleased to partner with IC Bus as these new propane buses will improve our community environmentally, while also reducing our operating costs.”
