Last week, IC Bus celebrated the delivery of the first buses with diesel engines certified to meet EPA 2010 emissions levels.

We delivered 28 IC Bus^TM CE Series school buses with MaxxForce^® Advanced EGR engines certified to EPA 2010 NOx levels to an IC Bus school bus customer in Columbus, MS. 

However, as exciting as it is to be the first to cross that "finish line," for me, this event isn't really about being the first.  More importantly, it is an opportunity to reinforce our position on 2010 emission requirements: IC Bus is the only bus manufacturer with an emissions solution that keeps the burden of compliance on us, the manufacturer, and doesn't place it on the shoulders of our customers.

We are happy to have a customer already experiencing how these MaxxForce Advanced EGR engines are the smarter, easier and cleaner solution for meeting 2010 emissions requirements. 

Smarter and easier, because customers don't have to deal with added costs, maintenance or training that come with urea fluid. 

And cleaner, because with Advanced EGR technology, there are no environmental operating lapses, as our system is the only one that is not reliant on high operating temperatures or moderate climates to control NOx emissions. The technology of Navistar's Advanced EGR engines assures that IC Bus school and commercial buses meet the latest emissions requirements throughout the vehicle's duty cycle, in any climate, from startup to shut down.

We are eager to head into the new year having buses with MaxxForce Advanced EGR engines already on the road--and already taking the burden of 2010 emissions compliance off a customer.

Happy Holidays!

Regards,

John McKinney
President
IC Bus

As we head into 2010 the time is nearing when all bus customers will be faced with a decision to make: which engine do you want in your buses built to meet U.S. EPA 2010 emission requirements?  For more than a year, you've been hearing about your two options:  MaxxForce® Advanced EGR or, our competitor's option, urea-based SCR.

While both options may have merit, only Advanced EGR takes the hassle off of the customer. IC Bus wants to partner with you to help you in your business and we believe an emissions solution should be as hassle-free as possible.  IC Bus is choosing to build our U.S. EPA 2010 engines with an in-cylinder solution, known as Advanced EGR, because it is the only solution that keeps the burden of compliance on us, the manufacturer.

We have been developing our Advanced EGR technology for years and have been putting miles on engines to test them, fine tune and optimize them for you. To date, we have tested our engines for over 5 million miles and it will be nearly double that by the time they hit the road in 2010.  I'm thrilled to share with you that, through our testing, we have found that our 2010 MaxxForce 7 engine will have improved fuel economy. On average, we are seeing 1-3% fuel economy improvement, while some applications and routes are seeing much more in our ongoing testing.

We know saving fuel costs is a big deal.  That's why our current generation MaxxForce engines already enjoy a fuel economy advantage (by as much as 12.9%) over competitive engines (based on SAE fuel economy tests). So a fuel economy improvement on top of that in 2010 is just another reason that Advanced EGR is smarter for bus customers.

IC Bus is providing you a 2010 solution that is customer friendly. We know you have plenty on your mind and don't want to put the burden of emissions compliance on you.  And with our testing showing a fuel economy improvement on the already industry leading MaxxForce 7, Advanced EGR continues to be the smarter and easier choice for 2010.

Regards,

John McKinney
President
IC Bus

As you know, IC Bus and our parent company, Navistar, Inc., will meet 2010 EPA emissions requirements with our customer-friendly solution:  MaxxForce^® Advanced EGR.  With Advanced EGR, emissions reduction takes place within the engine, while urea-based SCR, the competitor's 2010 solution, uses an after-treatment system.

So, how might next year be different for you as it relates to your buses? 

Well, if you only have IC Bus^TM brand buses in your fleet, next year won't be much different for you, your drivers or service techs. That's because our MaxxForce [delete circle R] Advanced EGR won't put the burden of compliance on you.  IC Bus has taken on that burden so you don't have to.

This means your drivers won't be undergoing new training, since our 2010 EPA emissions solution doesn't add new warning lights to the driver's interface.  Drivers will simply get in their bus and drive, just like they do now.

Your service technicians will not be taking on new hassles and training, either. Our MaxxForce Advanced EGR engines will have an additional turbo and a larger cooling package, but service technicians are already trained to work on both. Further, since the technology used in Advanced EGR evolved from the same technology used to meet 2007 EPA mandates, diagnostic requirements and service intervals remain the same. 

Advanced EGR is less hassle for you, your drivers and your service technicians, because you don't shoulder the burden.  When you weigh your options for meeting 2010 emissions requirements, MaxxForce Advanced EGR from IC Bus is clearly the solution that has you covered.  

Regards,

John McKinney
President
IC Bus

Among the enhances of our MaxxForce engines in 2010 is their advanced ability to minimize heat and soot to maintain engine life. Did you know that the MaxxForce Advanced EGR engines, in all IC Bus^TM  brand buses will maintain their current service life? (The MaxxForce 7 engine B50 life is 375,000 miles and the MaxxForce DT engine B50 life is 450,000 miles.)

Some people may question how we can do this using Advanced EGR.  Their questions usually revolve around heat or soot.

Regarding heat, our engineers have worked diligently to ensure that our engines optimally manage the heat of combustion. Our 2010 MaxxForce engines do this better than previous generations.  EGR heat is not in the engine - it is in the EGR cooler. In fact, although we are flowing slightly more EGR we are also cooling that flow more so any additional heat is dealt with in the cooling system, which is larger. And, we have upgraded our EGR cooler construction and provided a unique, ultra-efficient coolant flow circuit.

As for soot, which is simply unburned fuel, our other technology advances take care of that.  The high-pressure fuel system, twin turbos, piston bowl, and multiple injection events make a more efficient burn; therefore the opportunity to make soot is greatly reduced.

Without question, our MaxxForce Advanced EGR technology takes these things into account so that our current engine life is maintained. After all, if you had to worry about reduced engine life, we couldn't really call it "advanced," could we?

Once again, with our 2010 compliant MaxxForce Advanced EGR engines maintaining their current service life, IC Bus continues to take the burden of 2010 compliance off our customer.

Regards,

John McKinney
President
IC Bus

Have you heard our competitors claim that urea fluid-based SCR will yield a 5% - 9% fuel economy advantage over Advanced EGR? In addition to that, I have even heard a "best in class fuel economy" claim.  In a world where fuel economy is top of mind and diesel prices always in flux, I think it is critical to keep in mind that these claims have not been proven or tested.

Not proven or tested? That's right: the SCR claims of fuel economy advantages over MaxxForce Advanced EGR have not been proven or tested.

How do I know this? 

Well, since IC Bus is the only bus manufacturer using an Advanced EGR engine for 2010, we would have had to loan our competitors a MaxxForce Advanced EGR engine for testing this claim. Since we did not do that, it seems this claim is completely unsupported.

Plus, based on SAE fuel economy tests, today's MaxxForce engines already enjoy a fuel economy advantage (by as much as 12.9%) over competitive engines. So competitors have a lot of ground to make up with their coming 2010 engine designs just to get comparable to the fuel economy of today's MaxxForce engines.

For argument's sake, let's imagine SCR buses do have a fuel economy advantage.  Bus owners using fluid-based SCR will still have to consider their total cost of operations increase which will include urea fluid purchase (currently at $4/gallon, Diesel Fuel News, 6/15/09), handling, storage, maintenance, as well as driver and service technician training. All of this hassle should be taken into account when considering any potential (and yet unproven) fuel economy advantage.

IC Bus is providing bus customers a 2010 solution that is customer friendly. No hassles. No new driver or service tech training.  And with today's MaxxForce engine already enjoying a proven fuel economy advantage, no fuel economy worries.

Regards,

John McKinney
President
IC Bus

IC Bus will meet 2010 EPA emissions requirements for oxides of nitrogen (NO_x) with MaxxForce Advanced EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation). 

As you may know, all on-highway diesel engines sold in the United States and Canada since 2007 use some form of EGR.  EGR re-circulates NO_x exhaust into the intake stream, where it displaces some of the normal intake. This slows and cools the combustion process, reducing NO_x formation.  MaxxForce Advanced EGR takes EGR even further, thanks to four unique technological innovations only offered in 2010 MaxxForce engines:

 •·         Next-generation fuel injection systems deliver fuel into the cylinders multiple times per cycle and at higher pressures. This means combustion takes place over a longer period and is more complete, resulting in creation of lower NO_x.

•·         Proprietary combustion bowl design combines with the higher fuel injection pressure to break the fuel up into a finer mist that is spread more evenly inside the cylinder.  This results in a more complete and cleaner burn.

•·         Advanced air management systems place an interstage cooler between dual turbochargers. This reduces air temperature going into the cylinders and allows more air to be packed into the large second-stage turbo for maximum power at high engine speeds. Combining these features with the increased EGR rate means the combustion in the cylinder occurs slower and at a lower temperature, generating less NO_x.

•·         Electronic calibration, supported by increases in computing power, replaces pre-programmed lookup tables and allows engine controllers to continuously calculate the optimum fuel-air mix for maximum power and efficiency.

The result of these innovations is an engine that treats NO_x in-cylinder, and therefore requires no additional aftertreatment - and no extra burden on our customers.   

Alternatively, our competitors will add an aftertreatment system based on SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction) using urea fluid.   SCR comes with the complication and cost of a new aftertreatment system and urea fluid maintenance and training. 

IC Bus did not want to put the hassle of urea on bus operators' shoulders.  So, by using Advanced EGR, IC Bus takes the burden of compliance off customers with technology advancements that we have been working on for years. Because of these advancements, you can chose an IC Bus with a MaxxForce Advanced EGR engine and avoid dealing with the burdens of urea fluid-based SCR.

Bottom line:  IC Bus thought about 2010 emissions so that you wouldn't have to.

Regards,

John McKinney
President
IC Bus

But, not everyone understands that this commitment is at the heart of our strategy for meeting 2010 EPA emission requirements.

It has been suggested that our use of credits allows us to run "dirtier" buses. In truth, no engine manufacturer could have met 2007 EPA requirements without the flexibility of a credit system written into the rules. And, when manufacturers like IC Bus meet standards early, it helps clean up the environment.

FACT: Navistar is building cleaner engines than required today.  Navistar has been purposely building pre-2010 MaxxForce^® engines that are cleaner than what the EPA requires. In doing so, we have built up a bank of credits that provides us with additional time to optimize our MaxxForce Advanced EGR technology past January 1, 2010. In other words, we can use Advanced EGR (and not urea-based SCR) because we planned for it.

FACT: The banking and trading of credits provide environmental benefits.  Some ask if generating credits is truly good if the credits will be used in the future. Well, the truth is that 20 percent of the credits created by building cleaner engines cannot be used, and they represent a net contribution to the environment. This rule was put in place, says the EPA, "as an added assurance that the incentives created by the program will not only have no adverse environmental impact but also provide an environmental benefit." (55 Federal Register 20584).  The EPA reaffirmed its commitment to this credit program with the 2007 Rule stating that "this compliance flexibility could be a significant factor in the manufacturers' ability to comply with the standards in 2007 and will help to allow implementation of the new, more stringent standards as soon as permissible under the Clean Air Act."  (66 Federal Register 5109 1/18/2001).

FACT: IC Bus will be 2010 EPA compliant.  In 2010, MaxxForce Advanced EGR engines in all IC Bus brand buses will be fully compliant at 0.50 g/bhp/hr (the maximum level allowed when credits are used). At a later date, according with our plans, IC Bus will meet the standard 0.20 g/bhp/hr without credits and without the use of urea. Our solution will also be fully compliant with the California Air Resource Board for 2010 (per California Air Resource Board - Title 13, California Code of Regulations, section 2025 paragraph {49}, and Appendix A {Dec. 11, 2008}) such that they will NOT need to be retrofitted.

BOTTOM LINE: it is our enduring commitment to the environment and our customers that enables us to bring you buses that reduce emissions without using urea today, in 2010 and beyond.

Regards,

John McKinney
President
IC Bus

Unfortunately, some companies take advantage of that by luring you in with promises of savings that may not hold water. This is true even in the bus industry as companies look ahead to implementing 2010 emissions compliant engines. 

Have you heard the claim about fuel economy that urea-based SCR advocates are touting?  I read recently a claim that buses with SCR engines will have a 5 -9% fuel economy advantage versus 2010 Advanced EGR technology.  Hmmm.  Really?  Since IC Bus is the only bus manufacturer making an Advanced EGR engine for 2010, wouldn't IC Bus have had to loan them an engine for testing? Since I know we didn't do that, I wonder how they can make that claim?

And here's another point:  based on SAE fuel economy tests, our MaxxForce^® engines enjoy a fuel economy advantage over competitive engines today.  So the competition has a lot of ground to make up with their coming 2010 engine designs just to get comparable to the fuel economy of our MaxxForce engines.  And even if they did make up that ground, bus customers would still be left with the complexities of dealing with urea.

As I mentioned in my last email here is a lot of misinformation in the marketplace about 2010 engines. I encourage you to do your homework about your manufacturer's claims before you make your bus purchases for 2010 and beyond.

DO challenge your bus manufacturer with questions about their claims.

DO find out which option will be better for your bottom line.

DO find out which option will be less hassle for you, your drivers and service technicians.

DO find out which option places the burden of compliance on the manufacturer, and not on you.

And, importantly, DON'T be fooled.

Regards,

John McKinney
President
IC Bus

Our decision to zig while the others have zagged has resulted in quite a bit of misinformation about EGR and SCR technology alike. So I am writing today to help clarify fact from fiction. This is the first in a series of emails that serve this purpose.

Our goal: to give you the information you need to understand the implications of 2010 technology. We're confident once you have all the facts, you'll see MaxxForce Advanced EGR is clearly the better way to go.

Watch our emails for more details. Meanwhile, visit www.icbus.com/2010emissions where you'll find helpful answers to tough questions about 2010 and find out more about how MaxxForce Advanced EGR takes the burden of compliance off of you.

Regards,

John McKinney
President
IC Bus