MCI J-Series

MCI J-Series
A post-facelift J4500 operating as a Google employee bus
Overview
Manufacturer	Motor Coach Industries
Production	2001-present
Assembly	Crookston, Minnesota, United States Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Body and chassis
Class	Tri-axle coach
Body style	Single-decker coach
Doors	1 sedan door, some have 1 wheelchair lift door
Floor type	High-floor
Chassis	MCI special platform integral
Powertrain
Engine	Detroit Diesel Series 60, Detroit Diesel DD13, Caterpillar C12, Caterpillar C13, Cummins ISM, Cummins ISX, Cummins X12
Capacity	Up to 44 (J3500) Up to 60 (J4500)
Dimensions
Length	35 feet (11 m) (J3500) 45 feet (14 m) (J4500)
Width	102 inches (2.6 m)
Height	141 inches (3.6 m)
Curb weight	42,000 lbs GVWR (J3500) 54,000 lbs GVWR (J4500)
Chronology
Predecessor	MCI E-Series (post-facelift J4500) MCI F-Series (J3500)

The MCI J-Series is a model of motorcoach bus produced by Motor Coach Industries (MCI). The bus is primarily used by tour and charter bus operators. It is sold alongside the MCI D-Series bus, primarily used by intercity bus services and public transit operators.

The J-Series was introduced in 2001 initially as a mid-range supplement for the D- and E-Series coaches in the MCI coach lineup. It is manufactured at the NFI Group facility in Crookston, Minnesota, United States as well as in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. ^{[1] [2]}

Development

Background

A 102-EL3 coach. The design of this coach series inspired the J-Series.

In 1998, MCI introduced the 102-EL3. Also known as the Renaissance, it was a new coach introduced to compete with the Prevost H-Series. The E-Series featured an all new body (designed by Designworks) and it introduced many new features such as a curved stepwell, a steerable tag axle, electronically controlled air suspension and disc brakes. ^[3] Due to the rushed development of the E-Series, some of the coach's features were unreliable at the beginning prompting MCI to develop a companion coach model. In 2001, the 102-EL3 was renamed to the E4500 bringing it in line with MCI's new nomenclature for their coaches.

Introduction

In 2001, MCI introduced the J-Series at the 2001 UMA Motorcoach Expo. The J-Series retained most of the Designworks designed body from the E-Series but with minor changes. However, many of the new on-board technologies on the E-Series were removed in order to appeal to customers looking for a lower-cost coach with a modern design but with simpler on-board technologies. ^[4]

Variants

A pre-facelift J4500 operated by Pine Hill Trailways

J4500

The J4500 was introduced in 2001 as a model to fill the gap in MCI's product line between the D4500 and E4500. It combined the modern design of the E-Series with the more basic on-board technologies of the D-Series. In 2004, MCI added disc brakes as an option. In 2010, MCI added its "Bendix" suspension system to the J4500, improving handling. ^[5]

Facelift

In 2013, MCI updated the design of the J-Series with re-designed headlights and a more squared off body. As well as changes to the exterior new features were also added in 2013 such as a steerable tag axle. Due to the added features and new design, the E-Series was quietly discontinued. In 2018, the interior was re-designed and luggage lights were added as an option. ^{[5] [6]}

J4500 CHARGE (battery-electric)

In May 2018, MCI announced that its prototype battery-electric J-Series coach (then known as the J4500e) successfully completed phase one of its testing. ^[7] In 2021, MCI announced the production electric version of the J-Series called the J4500 CHARGE, with the "CHARGE" suffix meaning "Battery-Electric" in NFI Group's nomenclature. The J4500 CHARGE has a range of 200 miles and is powered by Siemens electric motors. ^[8]

J3500

The J3500 was introduced in 2018 as a shorter 35-foot version of the existing 45-foot model to compete with other similar 35-foot coaches such as the TEMSA TS-35 and Van Hool CX35. The J3500 is MCI's first 35-foot coach since the discontinuation of the DINA produced F3500. The first J3500 was delivered to Tuscaloosa Charter Service in January 2019. ^[9]

See also

• MCI D-Series
• Busesportal

References

1. "MCI-JSeries-brochure-FINAL.pdf" (PDF). Motor Coach Industries. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 12, 2021. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
2. "Specs". MCI. Archived from the original on July 12, 2021. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
3. "History of Motor Coach Industries". Buses and More. Archived from the original on July 16, 2021. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
4. "MCI Models A-J" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 6, 2014. Retrieved April 6, 2014.
5. "Evolution of the MCI J4500". youtube.com. Archived from the original on August 3, 2021. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
6. Tackett, Richard (July 1, 2017). "Official BUSRide Field Test: The 2018 J4500 by MCI". Busride. Archived from the original on October 6, 2022. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
7. "MCI J4500e Reaches Highway Speed and Reliability Targets in Test Runs". Mass Transit Mag. May 11, 2018. Archived from the original on April 15, 2022. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
8. "Motor Coach Industries Launches Battery-Electric Luxury Coach for North American Market: J4500 CHARGE". Motor Coach Industries. Batteries News. May 5, 2021. Archived from the original on July 16, 2021. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
9. "MCI delivers first J3500, full production set for January 2019". Metro Magazine. December 14, 2018. Archived from the original on February 28, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2021.

External links

• MCI J-Series Website