GreenPower Motor Company, a manufacturer and distributor of purpose-built, all-electric, zero-emission medium and heavy-duty vehicles, has received orders for 35 Type D all-electric, purpose-built school buses for the California market from its dealer in the state, Model1.
25 of the Mega BEAST school buses will serve the Montebello School District, and the remaining 10 buses will be delivered to the Garden Grove School District. The California HVIP Program and the EPA Clean School Bus Program have arranged the funding for the school buses.
GreenPower's BEAST is a 40-foot, 90-passenger school bus with air ride suspension, ABS disk brakes, pass-through storage, and a modern monocoque chassis. Its integrated aluminum body and chassis design form a composite structure, which is the GreenPower Truss factor.
The Mega BEAST delivers a range of up to 300 miles on a single charge through a 387 kWh battery pack.
The extended range created by the larger battery pack is an ideal solution for many rural school districts with longer routes, with less chance for mid-day opportunity charging, facing extreme weather conditions, and schools using the all-electric bus for extra-curricular activities.
“These GreenPower EV school buses provide safe and healthy transportation for students and save money over the long run through reduced operation and maintenance costs," said Jason Hohalek, School Bus Sales Manager for Model 1. "With these buses qualifying for California HVIP vouchers, air quality management district grants, VW funding, and the EPA Clean School Bus Program, school districts are able to fund the transition to a cleaner, safer ride."
The California HVIP program has extended the date for submissions for the public school bus set-aside funding of $370,000 for a Type D BEAST school bus without a wheelchair lift and $395,000 with a wheelchair lift, and $285,000 for a Type A Nano BEAST without a wheelchair lift and $310,000 for a Type A Nano BEAST Access with a wheelchair lift.
According to California Governor Gavin Newsom’s legislation, all new school buses in California are anticipated to be electric by 2035. The transition to all-electric school buses is expected to be worth about $5 billion.
