LISLE, Ill. – The school bus industry is the tip of the spear for transportation’s shift to electric vehicles (EVs). IC Bus has been at the forefront of supporting customers through their electrification journeys from consultation to successful deployment of their IC Bus® electric CE Series bus. The market share leader asserts to be front and center for its customers throughout the EV consultation and deployment process.
“IC Bus has emphasized from the beginning that bus is the perfect use case for electric, which is why we leaned so heavily into making it feasible for our customers,” said Justina Morosin, general manager and vice president, IC Bus. “The driving factor has been front and center: a cleaner transportation option for North America’s millions of schoolchildren.”
Since the launch of the IC Bus® electric CE Series in late 2020, IC Bus has worked to educate dealers, technicians and customers alike on the transition to electric. IC Bus remains an end-to-end resource for customers as their trusted advisor through every step of the electrification journey taking a consultative approach to educate on the full ecosystem everything from and to vehicle routes, charging needs and vehicle deployment, as well as vehicle readiness to ensure maximized uptime of the school bus fleet.
Recent bus deliveries over the past several months demonstrate the commitment customers and school districts are taking to provide a cleaner, more sustainable approach to provide safe transport for students.
Examples of these efforts include:
Moorpark Unified School District in California has received several EV buses and grant application assistance from IC Bus. The school district is in the process of purchasing more IC Bus electric buses with two grants they were recently awarded. “We are currently operating an electric CE Series wheelchair bus and the driver loves to drive it; his kids love riding the electric bus each day,” said Denise Berrington, director of maintenance, operations and transportation for Moorpark Unified School District.
Moreno Valley School District in California operates 42 IC Bus electric CE Series buses to transport 3,100 children to 42 area schools. All EV school buses were upfitted with special features, such as wheelchair lifts, to transport children with disabilities. Moreno Valley’s own sustainability goals as a district drove it to jumpstart the EV adoption process. From the site survey deployment, the IC Bus team has assisted every step of the way.
Elk Grove Unified School District in California runs a fleet with both regular and specially outfitted special needs electric CE Series buses. Juggling the day-to-day operations of running a fleet of buses while upgrading to cleaner technology has been made easier with the help of IC Bus. “Teaming up with a knowledgeable company like IC Bus and their zero emissions team who can understand our needs while doing the work independently and keeping us aware of the progress is necessary. Having a partner to come along and assist us has been imperative,” said Kenneth Black, director of transportation, Elk Grove Unified School District.
School District 20 in rural British Columbia, Canada has a fleet of electric CE Series buses operating in its challenging terrain of mountains and snow. The district, which is in an area nearly devoid of electric mobility infrastructure, receives continual support from the IC Bus team to make the deployment a success.
Recent deliveries to districts like Moorpark Unified School District and Elk Grove Unified School District also demonstrate how IC Bus serves a variety of customers with different bus configurations, such as outfitting buses to transport special needs students.
“We continue to listen to the needs of our customers and make updates to our products to benefit them and their use cases,” said Morosin. “We look forward to releasing more technology that aligns with our customers’ sustainability and performance goals.”
To learn more about IC Bus and its commitment to supporting customers on their electrification journey, visit Booth 5640 during ACT Expo at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California on May 2-4. The IC Bus electric CE Series will also be available at the ACT Expo Ride and Drive.
About Navistar:
Navistar, Inc. (“Navistar”) is a purpose-driven company, reimagining how to deliver what matters to create more cohesive relationships, build higher-performing teams and find solutions where others don’t. Based in Lisle, Illinois, Navistar or its subsidiaries and affiliates produce International brand commercial trucks and engines, IC Bus brand school and commercial buses, all-makes OnCommand® Connection advanced connectivity services, and Fleetrite, ReNEWeD and Diamond Advantage brand aftermarket parts. With a history of innovation dating back to 1831, Navistar has more than 14,500 employees worldwide and is part of TRATON SE, a global champion of the truck and transport services industry. Additional information is available at www.Navistar.com.
