Commercial Body Builders Polar

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Commercial Body Builders Polar
BC Transit 2225-a.jpg
Years of manufacture 1994 to 2010
Length 22 to 24 feet (E-350 and E-450 chassis)
Unknown (E-550 chassis)
Width 96 inches
Power/Fuel Diesel, Gasoline
BC Transit C998-a.jpg

The Commercial Body Builders Polar was a cutaway type bus built on a Ford E-350 or E-450 chassis. The body consists of an all-aluminum frame with aluminum panels that are digitally pulse-welded into place.

For the 2002 model year, the Polar was slightly redesigned to have less angular sides for increased interior space and better integration of the passenger door. A high-capacity prototype on an E-550 chassis was also built that year but never entered production as the E-550 was discontinued shortly after. By the 2007 model year, the manual passenger door opener was replaced with an electric unit. The original design is sometimes referred to as the Polar II and Polar III, while the redesign is sometimes referred to as the Polar V.

Production of the Polar officially ended in June 2010 due to a lack of demand, resulting in the closure of CBB's Bus Division. However, the last complete Polar, BC Transit 2238, was built and delivered in 2009. The last Polar body made was never installed on a chassis and was eventually sold to a farmer who mounted it on a trailer to use for hay rides.

Specifications

Engine

Transmission

  • Ford 4R100 4 speed with overdrive (1994-2003)
  • Ford TorqShift 5R110W 5 speed with overdrive (2003-2013)

Wheelbase

  • 158 inches (22' body length on E-350 and E-450)
  • 176 inches (24' body length on E-350 and E-450 chassis)
  • Unknown (E-550 chassis)

Configuration breakdown

Polar configurations are represented by a code, which is usually composed of a prefix, a number of seating positions, a number of wheelchair positions (unless equipped with foldaway seating), and sometimes a suffix.

The basic configuration is represented by the prefix.

RM - Rear mobility aid
SM - Side mobility aid
TS - Touring series

The first number indicates the number of seating positions in the bus.

4–25

The second number indicates the number of wheelchair positions in the bus. However, buses equipped with foldaway seating in the wheelchair positions do not have this second number in their configuration codes. For example, a side mobility aid bus with 20 seats and two wheelchair positions will have the configuration code SM20.

1–6

Options are signified with the suffix. If a bus is ordered without any options, it will not have a suffix in its configuration code. If a bus is ordered with multiple options, it will have two suffixes combined into one. For example, a 17-seat touring series bus with a front luggage rack and perimeter seating will have the configuration code TS17FLP.

FL - Front luggage rack
P - Perimeter seating
RF - Rear-facing wheelchair securement
RL - Rear luggage compartment

Operators

Canada Flag of Canada.png

United States Flag of the United States.png

Demonstrator and engineering units

Below is a list of known demonstrator and engineering buses.

Fleet number Thumbnail Year VIN Engine Transmission Notes
S017 2002 1FDAE55F12HB69198 Ford Power Stroke 7.3L Ford 4R100

Gallery

  • Original body design (1994-2001)

  • Revised body design, rear mobility aid (2002-2010)

  • Revised body design, side mobility aid

References

  1. ↑ https://www.impark.com/parking-insight/free-hospital-parking-really-free/
  2. ↑ https://www.impark.com/careers/join-our-portland-parking-team/
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