Modern society is built on the idea of choice. The ability to choose between multiple options that garner the best results is why companies provide a range of production lines. The new Ford Transit platform gives school bus manufacturers more choice on how they provide transportation for districts and students.
The Transit’s unibody design features a lighter gross vehicle weight rating than either the Ford E-350 and E-450 cutaway chassis. This factor, said a company representative, allows bus manufacturers to deliver higher payloads and better fuel efficiency.
“Transit gives manufacturers a flexible and rugged base for building smaller, more-efficient Type A school buses and multi-function school activity buses,” added Dennis Bearden, RV and pool account manager for Ford Motor Company.
Officially launched this month and displayed last fall at the NAPT Summit in the form of the Micro Bird T-Series, the Transit is available in van, wagon, cutaway and chassis cab models. There are a total of 47 configurations. The Transit cutaway, for example, offers a choice from three wheelbases, a gasoline or diesel engine, and single- or dual-rear wheels.
Ford has no current plans to replace or discontinue the older E-Series platform any time soon, opting to maintain the model through the end of the decade, said Bearden. He added the Transit is simply “a great addition to the Ford school bus chassis line-up.”
As the first bus manufacturer to apply the Transit platform in the form of its T-Series bus, Micro Bird President and CEO Steve Girardin described the option last fall as a “game changer.”
The T-Series offers an array for advantages, including student transport capabilities and fuel economy. “Transit’s lower chassis weight and better payload distribution allow us to provide our customers with increased passenger capacities, while at the same time reducing fuel consumption,” said Girardin.
Girardin added that the new platform has a number of upgrades to safety standards, like low entry for riders. “Transit also offers serious safety improvements through better driver ergonomics and visibility of the student loading zone,” said Girardin.
Production of the T-Series is already underway and appearing on dealer lots, and is available in school bus, MPV, MFSAB and commercial configurations.
