IC Bus gave a sneak peak Monday night of the first fully integrated Type A school bus on the market that promises to double the life cycle of competitor models that are mounted on truck or van cutaway chassis from Ford and GM.

Company representatives on hand said the AE Series packaged in the typical 96-inch wide steel school bus body came as a result of listening to customers who had been asking for an alternative that provided increased durability and dependability as well as a "one-stop shop" for service, parts, warranties and financing.

The AE Series shares a platform with the IC Bus AC Series commercial bus that was introduced earlier this fall. The AE Series features frame rails rated to 80,000 PSI,  and 16-gauge steel side sheets for added body strength. It also allows technicians to fully service a recalibrated 220-horsepower, 6.4-liter MaxxForce 7 V8 diesel engine that meets EPA 2010 emissions standards with Advanced EGR technology via a full-tilt hood.

David Hillman, the director of global bus marketing for Navistar, said Monday night that the next-gen MaxxForce 7 has shown a 3 percent increase in fuel economy as it combines a 28,000-psi (1,900-bar) high-pressure common-rail fuel system, dual sequential turbocharger system and a high strength compacted graphite iron (CGI) block.

The AE Series was also designed in multiple wheel base lengths at company factories and is only available with an Allison 1000 transmission rather than an automatic transmission best suited in van-only applications.