| MCI J-Series | |
| Assembly: | Crookston, Minnesota, United States Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada |
| Production: | 2001-present |
| Capacity: | Up to 44 (J3500) Up to 60 (J4500) |
| Length: | 35feet (J3500) 45feet (J4500) |
| Width: | 102inches |
| Height: | 141inches |
| Doors: | 1 sedan door, some have 1 wheelchair lift door |
| Weight: | 42,000 lbs GVWR (J3500) 54,000 lbs GVWR (J4500) |
| Chassis: | MCI special platform integral |
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]
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.
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]