Eaton Corp. announced the commercial availability of its hybrid electric power systems for Navistar’s IC Bus brand school buses. The IC Bus CE Series hybrid electric school bus with hill start assist can provide school districts with up to a 30% improvement in fuel economy, up to 35% reduction of NOx emissions and up to 85% reduction of diesel particulates, according to the company.
 
“School districts across the country are looking for ways to reduce their fuel cost and provide a greener footprint for their community without compromising passenger or driver comfort,” said Dimitri Kazarinoff, vice president and general manager for Eaton’s Hybrid Power Systems Division. “With the Eaton hybrid system, they now have a proven option that has more than 100 million miles of real-world experience.”
 
Eaton said it worked with IC Bus to specially design its hybrid system for school bus deployment. The hybrid system combines the MaxxForce DT with MaxxForce Advanced EGR (exhaust gas recirculation)—with an electric motor that has a peak power output of 44 kilowatt. Through regenerative braking, battery charge is controlled to provide a steady supply of power. The maker said this allows for less wear and tear on brakes and additional operational savings.

Eaton matches the system to an automated six-speed Eaton transmission and stores energy in lithium-ion batteries. The hybrid system also includes Eaton’s hill start assist technology that keeps the bus from rolling backwards on a grade. In addition, maintenance is simple with this hybrid system, requiring only a normal coolant check and battery compartment filter replacement in accordance with the regular maintenance schedule. IC Bus and Eaton back up the entire hybrid system with a 5-year unlimited mileage warranty.