Spartan Chassis Executes Agreement With Lion Bus Inc. for Type C School Bus Chassis

CHARLOTTE, Mich., June 16, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Spartan Chassis, Inc., a subsidiary of Spartan Motors, Inc. , has executed a supply agreement with bus manufacturer Lion Bus Inc. of Saint-Jerome, Canada. Under the agreement, Spartan Chassis will supply conventional front-engine diesel chassis for use on Type C school buses in the United States and Canada.

Spartan Motors Vice President Dave Snitgen stated, "The top 25 school districts alone covered 397 million route miles in 2010, and 55 percent of the nation's school districts were faced with lower operating budgets. Clearly, there is significant demand for both durability and lower cost of operation. Together with Lion Bus, we have developed an exceptional product which offers considerably improved durability and a lower total cost of ownership, particularly lower maintenance costs."

Spartan's purpose-built chassis design improves durability and extends the duty-cycle of the bus. In addition, each chassis features:

• 65/66 and 71/72 passenger capacity configurations
• 2010 EPA-Certified Cummins® ISB 6.7L diesel engine with horsepower offerings of 200, 220 and 250
• 2500 PTS automatic Allison transmission
• Up to 31,000 lbs. gross vehicle weight rating
• 254" or 276" wheelbase
• Up to 50-degree wheel cut
• Tilt/telescopic steering column
• 50,000 psi frame rail strength
• Five-year chassis and seven-year body warranties
• Authorized Service Network throughout the U.S. and Canada