Thomas Saf-T-Liner C2

Last updated

Thomas Saf-T-Liner C2
Southwest Coach 2984 side.jpg
Front 34 view
Overview
Manufacturer Thomas Built Buses (Freightliner)
Production2004–present
Assembly Gaffney, South Carolina
Designer John M. Mellberg
Body and chassis
Chassis Freightliner M2
Related Freightliner M2 106
Powertrain
Engine
  • Diesel
    • Cummins ISB 200–260 hp (2007–2016; CNG option since 2016)
    • Caterpillar C7 (2007)
    • Detroit Diesel DD5 5.1 L I4 (2018–present)
    • Mercedes-Benz MBE 900 (2004–2009)
  • Propane
    • Powertrain Integration PIthon 8.0 L V8 (2014–2022)
Drive Force/PSI 8.8L V8 2019-2022
Capacity14–81
Transmission 2-speed automatic (Jouley) [1]
Battery 226 kWh (Jouley) [2]
Plug-in charging Vehicle-to-grid (V2G)
Dimensions
Width96 in (2,438 mm)
Curb weight 18,000–35,000 lb (8,165–15,876 kg) (GVWR)
Chronology
Predecessor
Saf-T-Liner C2 2010 Thomas Saf-T-Liner C2.jpg
Saf-T-Liner C2
Interior view, looking back Thomas C2 interior seats.jpg
Interior view, looking back

The Thomas Saf-T-Liner C2 (often shortened to Thomas C2) is a cowled-chassis bus manufactured by bus body manufacturer Thomas Built Buses. Introduced in 2004, the vehicle is produced primarily as a school bus; other configurations of the model line were developed for commercial use and specialty configurations. It is also known as the "Shuttle Bus" to many students due to its space shuttle appearance, higher roof, and advanced tech compared to many school buses on the road at the time it was introduced.

Contents

The model line uses the Freightliner C2 chassis, derived from the 2002–2022 Business Class M2 medium-duty truck. Thomas developed the C2 to replace both the previous Saf-T-Liner Conventional and Saf-T-Liner FS-65 conventionals; the latter was produced concurrently with the C2 until December 2006. [3] While produced with a full-length hood, the C2 adopted other design elements of the 1990s Thomas Vista conventional to improve loading-zone visibility.

Alongside its distinctive exterior, the C2 is also available in up to 81-passenger capacity, the largest of any conventional-type school bus in North America. [4]

Thomas manufactures the C2 in a dedicated facility in High Point, North Carolina while the chassis is built in Gaffney, South Carolina. [5]

Background

Thomas Saf-T-Liner FS-65, predecessor of the Saf-T-Liner C2 Thomas FS65 NYC.jpg
Thomas Saf-T-Liner FS-65, predecessor of the Saf-T-Liner C2

Following the introduction of the Freightliner Business Class M2 medium-duty truck in 2002 as the replacement for the FL-Series, Freightliner began work on an all-new bus chassis based on the M2 to replace the FS-65 bus chassis. As the parent company of Thomas Built Buses, Freightliner sought to pair the new bus chassis together with a new Thomas body, allowing the bus company to update its Saf-T-Liner Conventional bus body for the first time since 1962.

In 2004, in preparation for the C2, Thomas completed construction on a second production facility in High Point, North Carolina, adding 275,000 square feet of production capability. [5] Following the introduction of the C2, its Saf-T-Liner FS-65 predecessor remained in production through the end of 2006, outliving the medium-duty FL-Series by nearly three years.

In October 2012, Thomas delivered its 50,000th Saf-T-Liner C2 to Dean Transportation of Lansing, Michigan.

In June 2018, the 100,000th Thomas Saf-T-Liner C2 was delivered to Montgomery County Public Schools in Virginia. [6]

In 2016, Thomas Built Buses released the 100th Anniversary model of the C2.

Overview

2013 Thomas Saf-T-Liner C2 in Virginia Thomas SafTLiner C2 RF.jpg
2013 Thomas Saf-T-Liner C2 in Virginia

Design and manufacture

As the Thomas Saf-T-Liner C2 marked the first completely new bus body for the company since 1962, Thomas redesigned a number of its manufacturing techniques coinciding with its introduction.

To minimize the number of rivets and welds (a weak point of structural integrity on a bus body), adhesive bonding was used to complete a number of body joints. In the cases where fasteners are needed, self-piercing rivets are used. These engineered fasteners join layers of metal together without punching completely through the bottom layer, thus reducing the likelihood that rivets will become the source of leaks in the future.

Chassis

Cummins ISB6.7 in a Saf-T-Liner C2 Thomas C2 engine compartment view.jpg
Cummins ISB6.7 in a Saf-T-Liner C2

As with all conventional-style school buses, the C2 is derived from a cowled-chassis conventional; the C2 uses the Freightliner C2 variant of the M2. As with 2000s and 2010s industry practice in school bus manufacturing, chassis and body manufacturers are paired, with Freightliner and Thomas developing the C2 as an integrated vehicle (the Freightliner grille badges are replaced with Thomas badges).

At its launch, Mercedes-Benz MBE diesel engines were the standard engines, with optional Caterpillar C7 and Cummins ISB diesels. In 2008, the Cummins ISB6.7 replaced the MBE900 as the standard engine, with the C7 discontinued. From 2010 to 2018, the sole diesel engine in the Thomas C2 was the Cummins ISB6.7; for 2018 production, the Detroit Diesel DD5 becomes an option. [7]

The C2 comes standard with an Allison 2500 automatic transmission with an Allison 3000 automatic transmission as an option. The Saf-T-Liner C2 is the only school bus in North America offered with a manual transmission; a rarely ordered option is a Fuller 6-speed transmission.

EngineConfigurationFuelNotesTransmission
Caterpillar C77.2 L (441 cu in) turbo I6dieseloptional engine, discontinued after 2008 Allison 2500 automatic

Allison 3000 automatic

Fuller 6-speed manual

Cummins ISB6.7 6.7 L (409 cu in) turbo I6diesel

CNG available 2009–present; produced with diesel-electric powertrain from 2009 to 2013

Cummins B6.7available 2015-present;
Detroit Diesel DD55.1 L (313 cu in) turbo I4dieseloptional engine, entering production 2018
Mercedes-Benz MBE900 (OM904LA)4.2 L (259 cu in) turbo I4 (MBE904)dieselstandard engine at launch, discontinued after 2009
4.8 L (293 cu in) turbo I4 (MBE924)
6.4 L (388 cu in) turbo I6 (MBE906)
7.2 L (438 cu in) turbo I6 (MBE926)
Powertrain Integration PIthon8.0 L (487 cu in) OHV V8propane/LPG Gasolineavailable 2014–2022
Power Solutions International DriveForce8.8 L (535 cu in) OHV V8available 2019–2022
Proterra ProDrivePermanent magnet motorbattery electricoffered from 2019Proterra 2-speed automatic
Mount Olive Township School District #77, a 2020 Saf-T-Liner C2, viewed from the side. This picture was taken from MOTSD #70. MOTSD 77 2020 Thomas C2 October 2023.jpg
Mount Olive Township School District #77, a 2020 Saf-T-Liner C2, viewed from the side. This picture was taken from MOTSD #70.

Body

Rear view, Thomas Saf-T-Liner C2 (2007) Thomas C2 rear.jpg
Rear view, Thomas Saf-T-Liner C2 (2007)

In a break from traditional bus body design, as body manufacturers acted as second stage manufacturers adapting the body to the chassis, in the design of the C2, Freightliner-owned Thomas Built Buses designed the body and chassis of Saf-T-Liner C2 as fully integrated components. A separate body from the Saf-T-Liner EFX/HDX and Minotour, the C2 body shares no parts with its Saf-T-Liner Conventional/FS-65 predecessor.

While Freightliner has also produced cutaway-cab buses derived from the M2 for commercial/transit use, Thomas Built Buses is the only manufacturer to produce a cowled-chassis bus body derived from the M2. Coinciding with the shift to the Freightliner M2 cowl, several changes were made to improve the functionality over its predecessor. Most visibly, to improve aerodynamics, the traditional multipane vertical windshield was replaced by a sloped single-piece curved piece of glass (allowing the use of the stock windshield wipers). [4] Above the windshield, the front bodywork matches the windshield slope; to further improve aerodynamics, the warning lamp lenses are faired into the body (where allowed by regulations).

On the rear of the C2, the body also used flush-mounted glass and warning-lamp lenses. While not substantially physically taller than its predecessor, Thomas visually extended the height of the C2 with larger passenger windows than previous school buses, along with larger exit doors.

On the exterior, the C2 has largely remained the same throughout its production run. In late 2007, the passenger windows saw a minor change, with a shift to equal-size window sashes (previously, the top half was larger). In the rear, the taillights were redesigned and enlarged, later becoming a standard design for all Thomas buses. To improve driver sightlines, the mirror bracket for the passenger-side rear-view mirrors was extended forward.

In the interior of the C2, Thomas made many advancements in an effort to maximize parts compatibility between the bus body and donor chassis. In previous conventional-style school buses, from the firewall rearward, only the steering column and instrument cluster were used. With the interior of the Thomas C2, the dashboard of Freightliner M2 is used in its entirety, adopting only minor changes (the ignition switch was required to move to the center of the dashboard, due to a driver control panel replacing the driver-side door).

Along with the optimization of aerodynamics, the body of the Thomas C2 also optimized driver visibility. Following the redesign of the windshield, the entry door was repositioned, creating a large window between the entry door and windshield to view sightlines in the loading zone (a feature adopted from the Thomas Vista and nearly all small school buses); a smaller quarter window was located forward of the driver's sliding window. In comparison to other Thomas buses, the C2 has enlarged passenger windows and larger emergency exits. [8]

While initially equipped with an air-operated entry door, in 2012, an electric-operated entry door became offered as an option. Since 2016, a manually operated passenger entry door was added as an option.[ citation needed ]

Variants

2018 "Jouley" prototype, electric-powered Thomas Saf-T-Liner C2 school bus Thomas Saf-T-Liner eC2 Jouley - Front and right side IAA 2018.jpg
2018 "Jouley" prototype, electric-powered Thomas Saf-T-Liner C2 school bus

Other uses

Alongside its yellow school bus configuration, Thomas Built Buses produces multiple configurations of the Saf-T-Liner C2, including MFSAB versions (activity/childcare versions), along with the Transit Liner C2 commercial-use bus. Through aftermarket manufacturers, the C2 also serves as a donor vehicle for multiple types of specialty vehicles derived from bus bodies. [9]

Alternative fuel, hybrid, and electric powertrains

In 2007, Thomas introduced a hybrid-electric version of the Saf-T-Liner, named the C2e (stylized as C2e). The parallel hybrid drivetrain was designed by Eaton Corporation; the C2e retains the Cummins ISB engine and adds a 1.9 kW-hr lithium-ion battery pack with a 44 kW electric motor/generator. [10] [11] [12] Annual fuel savings were estimated to range from 300 to 450 US gal (1,100 to 1,700 L) assuming 10,000 miles (16,000 km) per year. [13] [14] This is a 20% increase in fuel economy, and the buses can drive under battery propulsion for up to 15 miles (24 km). [15] At least 24 C2e buses were built and delivered to operators in Kentucky and Michigan. [15] [16] In the summer of 2013, Thomas removed the C2e product literature from their website, marking its discontinuation.

In May 2014, Thomas Built Buses began production of a propane-fueled version of the Saf-T-Liner C2. [17] Powered by a 339 hp 8.0L V8, the C2 Propane is paired with the Allison 2300PTS automatic transmission. [18] The engine is designed by Powertrain Integration (an OEM supplier to General Motors) with the 8.0L V8 named the PIthon. [19] [20] In 2019, the propane engine was enlarged to a DriveForce-branded 8.8 L, [21] supplied by Power Solutions International, [22] which had acquired Powertrain Integration in 2015. [23]

In 2016, a compressed natural gas (CNG) variant of the Saf-T-Liner C2 was released. The first Type C (conventional-style) school bus produced with a CNG fuel system, the Saf-T-Liner C2 CNG is powered by a version of the Cummins ISB 6.7 engine. [24]

In November 2018, Thomas unveiled a battery-powered prototype of the Thomas Saf-T-Liner C2 designated eC2 or "Jouley" (after the unit of energy). [25] The prototype previews an all-electric C2 intended for production during 2019; [26] it was developed in partnership with Proterra, Inc., who offer a line of transit buses using the same battery-electric drivetrain. [27] The C2 Jouley uses a single traction motor with an output of 295/170 hp (220/127 kW) (peak/continuous) and a two-speed gearbox; this configuration is branded ProDrive by Proterra. The traction battery has a total capacity of 220 kW-hr, providing a range of up to 135 miles (217 km), assuming an efficiency of 1.4 kW-hr/mile (24.6 mpgUS (9.6 L/100 km) equivalent). The bus is charged using the SAE J1772 CCS Combo 1 connector; a full charge takes approximately 3 hours using a 60 kW DC charger. [28]

The first large order for 50 Jouley buses was placed by Dominion Energy in December 2019 as the first phase of their school bus replacement program, to be delivered by the end of 2020. [29] In February 2021, the Montgomery County Public Schools (Maryland), largest school district in the state, announced they had ordered 326 Jouley buses. [30] On October 17, 2022, Thomas delivered the 200th Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley to Indiana-based Monroe County Public Schools. [31]

Comparable products

See also

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Saf-T-Liner</span> Motor vehicle platform

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