WARRENVILLE, Ill. (April 20, 2009) – Schools looking to go green this earth day will want to consider another color—yellow—thanks to IC Bus and its program to educate schools about how they can improve the environment (www.AmericasGreenestSchool.com). The nation’s largest school bus manufacturer has created a Web site for students, teachers and parents about the eco-friendly benefits of school bus ridership. Students can also submit an essay about their school’s green activities for a chance to win a free hybrid school bus from IC Bus and $5,000 scholarship.
 

The contest, announced in January, is open for entry until April 30, 2009. Essay submissions should describe how a school shows its commitment to going green, how it teaches its students the value of green living, how it shows dedication to green transportation or how it embodies the spirit of a greener planet. With just one week left to enter, Earth Day is the perfect time to log on and represent your school.

IC Bus created the contest to help raise awareness of activities kids can do to impact the environment.

“We want students to have an appreciation for how schools impact the environment and the difference they can make,” said David Hillman,IC Bus, global marketing director. “Transportation is a critical part of that dialogue when you consider that every school bus in use takes an average of 36 cars off the road daily.”

As the leader in environmentally responsible transportation options, IC Bus, the first manufacturer of plug-in hybrid school buses, shares these green facts about yellow buses:

• According to the American School Bus Council,17.3 million cars are taken off the road annually with children riding school buses.
• 3.1 billion gallons of fuel are saved every year by students riding school buses.
• If 10 percent more children rode school buses, another 300 million gallons of fuel could be saved annually.
• The daily fuel cost to transport a child to school is $3.68 for a private vehicle but only $.73 if that child rides a school bus. And, school buses are eight times safer than private vehicles, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
• The IC Bus plug-in hybrid school bus achieves up to a 39 percent reduction in greenhouse gases and up to a 65 percent improvement in fuel economy over other buses.
• The average school bus uses more than 1,700 gallons of fuel annually, but the IC Bus plug-in hybrid school bus only uses about 600 gallons.
• If only 10 percent of the buses in the U.S. were IC Bus plug-in hybrids, over $200 million in diesel fuel would be saved annually.

Ten America’s Greenest School essay contest finalists will be announced May 11, 2009 and the public will then have one week to read the essays and vote at www.americasgreenestschool.com for its pick to win the title of America’s Greenest School. The winning school will receive a plug-in hybrid school bus from IC Bus, which has an estimated retail value of $200,000. The student who submits the winning essay will win a $5,000 scholarship. Sponsoring teachers may receive $3,000 to use toward educational materials.

About IC Bus
IC Bus, LLC of Warrenville, Ill., is an affiliate of Navistar, Inc. (NYSE: NAV). The nation’s largest integrated manufacturer of school busses, IC Bus is a global leader in passenger protection, chassis design, engines and ergonomics. The company is also a producer of commercial buses. All IC Bus buses are sold, serviced and supported through a renowned dealer network that offers an integrated customer program encompassing parts, training and service.