The story
Through its predecessor company AmTran, IC traces its roots to 1933, founded as Ward Body Works in Conway, Arkansas. Navistar predecessor International Harvester commenced chassis production 11 years earlier, entering production in 1922. Following the exit of several manufacturing firms from school bus production over the previous decade, IC would be the first newly established manufacturer in the 2000s.
2000s
In 2000, the IC name came into use for the first time, as AmTran introduced an updated version of its conventional-style bus body. While still based upon the International 3800 and sharing much of the body with its AmTran Volunteer/CS predecessor, the new bus introduced a redesigned drivers compartment and enlarged windshield. Named the International IC (IC standing for Integrated Coach/Chassis), the new bus emphasized how the entire vehicle was produced under the corporate entity of Navistar (who had purchased AmTran outright in 1995). To distinguish the International IC from other buses sharing the 3800 chassis, the hood of the IC was given its own grille and badging (marking the first visual update to International medium-duty trucks since 1989).
Following the introduction of the IC; AmTran's other product lines adopted the International brand name and badging for the body in addition to the chassis. In 2002, Navistar (at the time, International Truck and Engine) renamed its bus subsidiary to IC Corporation, and retired the AmTran brand name. After a minor revision, the IC adopted the CE-Series name (to match the FE/RE-Series transit-style buses).
During the mid-2000s, IC began an overhaul of its product line. For 2005, the International 3300 was introduced as a cowled-chassis variant of the International 4000-series (DuraStar), becoming the first completely new cowled chassis from International since 1979. For 2006, IC produced its first small school bus, the 30-passenger BE200. In place of a cutaway van chassis, the BE adopted a lower-profile version of the 3300 chassis. Externally similar to the CE, the smaller BE was designed with a flat-floor interior.
To comply with 2007 EPA emissions standards, IC buses adopted MaxxForce diesel engines for 2007, including the MaxxForce 7 6.4L V8 and the MaxxForce DT 7.6L I6. For 2008, to improve engine ventilation, the FE was given a wider grille, with the BE and CE adopting the redesigned front bumper of the International DuraStar. In April 2009, IC Corporation changed its name to IC Bus.
Commercial bus production
During its existence, the commercial product offerings of AmTran had been strictly derived from its school bus bodies, consisting as a small portion of its sales. In 2006, IC launched an expansion of its product range. Alongside the existing commercial derivatives of the BE, CE, and RE, the company introduced buses based on a cutaway-cab version of the International DuraStar. The HC was a range of shuttle buses; the LC was a paratransit bus with a low-floor configuration.
2010s
For 2010, IC underwent an overhaul of its product line. The FE-series (which entered production in 1990 as the Ward Senator, later becoming the AmTran Genesis) was discontinued, leaving the RE as its sole transit-style bus offering. At the other end of the size spectrum, IC introduced two cutaway-cab buses derived from the International TerraStar truck. Slotted below the HC, the AC was a commercial shuttle bus, while the AE marked the first cutaway-cab school bus produced by the company. While using a smaller truck line for a donor chassis, the AE was offered in a higher seating capacity than the BE, up to 36 passengers.
In a branding change, from 2010 onward, Navistar badged the International 3200 (the cutaway-cab version of the DuraStar) as an IC, regardless of body manufacturer. The IC "wing" logo was revised slightly in 2013 for 2014 production (with Navistar script added to the emblem and to the rear bumper).
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In response to the failure of its EGR emissions strategy to meet emissions standards, Navistar began to phase out MaxxForce diesel engines in favor of Cummins-produced engines. In the CE, the Cummins ISB6.7 was introduced as an option for 2014 production, becoming the standard engine for 2015. In 2017, the MaxxForce DT was replaced by a Cummins L9 diesel for the RE series, with a Cummins B6.7 introduced during 2018 for the CE.
In the mid-2010s, IC centralized production around school buses. After 2014, the AE/AC, BE, and LC were discontinued. For 2018, the HC was replaced by the TC (as the MV replaced the DuraStar); within the shuttle bus segment, IC reverted to a role of chassis provider, no longer producing completely-bodied vehicles.
Alongside the TC medium-duty cutaway cab, IC Bus currently produces the CE and RE-series as school buses/MFSABs (activity buses); both model lines are also offered in commercial applications (derived from the school bus bodies).
Alternative-fuel strategy
In the United States, Navistar was the sole diesel engine manufacturer to pursue the use of exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) to control diesel emissions rather than selective catalytic reduction (SCR). The company claimed EGR posed an advantage in overall fluid economy (measuring combined diesel + urea consumption), although separate testing resulted in an advantage with SCR.
In 2015, IC debuted its first alternative-fuel vehicle, showing a propane-powered CE-Series with a PSI 8.8L V8 engine. In 2016, the same engine was introduced in a gasoline-fueled configuration.
Electric bus
On November 7, 2017, IC Bus announced the chargE, an all-electric CE Series bus delivering up to 260 kilowatts (350 hp) in power using a Volkswagen Truck & Bus Group-supplied common group electric drivetrain. It is the second electric vehicle to be delivered from the Navistar-Volkswagen alliance. The chargE started production in 2019
2020s
At the end of 2021, IC Bus announced the introduction of a 35-foot-8-inch body length for the CE (exempting the length of the hood), offering a capacity of up to 83 passengers. The largest-capacity Type C school bus ever produced, the new option retained the previously-offered 276-inch wheelbase.
In July 2023, IC unveiled a third generation of the CE series for 2025 production. Using the updated International MV as a base chassis, the new CE added a taller, wider windshield to the body structure (rearward of the driver seat, much of the bodywork was carried over); the dashboard of the MV was integrated in its entirety. As of initial production, the third-generation CE is offered with diesel or electric powertrain options (the gasoline/LPG engine has not been made an option).
At the end of 2024 production, IC retired the long-running RE Series; coinciding with low overall market demand for rear-engine school buses, IC also cited upgrades in emissions standards for commercial vehicles. Produced with only incremental changes since 1996, the RE Series used the International 3000 chassis, the final variant of the International S-Series remaining in production (45 years after its release).
From Wikipedia’s article on IC Bus, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4