The first NEXBUS, Collins Bus Corporation’s newly designed Type A school bus was recently completed and delivered to Gorman Enterprises, the Collins dealer for upstate New York. The latest redesign was announced in March and Collins’ manufacturing facility in South Hutchinson, Kansas has been completely changed-over to produce the new buses. The design represents a culmination of several years of research and development. It is marketed under the brands of Collins, Mid Bus, and Corbeil.
As shown in the attached photo, several employees took time during their lunch break to commemorate the event. Also on hand were members of the Board of Directors of the National School Transportation Association, who were in town for a tour of the Collins facility. Kent Tyler, President of Collins Bus Corporation, said, “Our employees have done an incredible job in getting the plant converted for the new design and were justifiably proud to see the first unit driven out of the lot. We were fortunate to have the NSTA Board on hand to witness the event.”
The NEXBUS line of products is immediately available in all chassis configurations including Propane powered and Hybrid-Electric versions. A CNG version will be available later this summer. The new design underwent durability testing that simulated 7 years/200,000 miles of use at the Altoona Bus Research and Testing Center in Altoona, Pennsylvania. The small bus market continues to be led by Collins Bus Corporation, where “Every Type A Bus is a Type A+”TM.
