Electric drivetrain provider Adomani, Inc. and manufacturer Blue Bird announced a three-year supply agreement for zero-emissions, Type-C conventional and Type-D, transit-style school buses.
The companies unveiled a new electric Type-D chassis for the Blue Bird All-American school bus this past summer at the STN EXPO in Reno, Nevada. That bus along with an Type-C electric Blue Bird Vision Electric are expected to be in production by late 2018.
“We are proud to play a part in producing a school bus that is powered by clean electricity and provides a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and benefits our children, our communities and our environment at large,” said Adomani President and CEO Jim Reynolds in a statement released Tuesday.
Reynolds added he has worked with Blue Bird for over 16 years, previously leading one of the school bus manufacturer’s largest dealers in A-Z Bus Sales and overseeing implementation of CNG and propane fuel systems.
He also referred to Adomani’s drivetrain components as “state-of-the-art,” and said the company’s components, advanced battery technology and engineering team is positioned to “help Blue Bird provide school districts and contractors with a safe, reliable, cost-effective zero-emissions transportation solution.”
“With the growing global awareness of issues surrounding sustainability and renewable energy, the increasing availability of funding from government programs and other incentives, including funds from the unprecedented multibillion-dollar Volkswagen environmental mitigation trust, and the accelerating advancements in battery technology, the timing could not be more ideal,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, Blue Bird President and CEO Phil Horlock celebrated the rounding out of his company’s alternative-energy portfolio. Blue Bird also unveiled the Type-A Micro Bird G5 Electric at STN EXPO this summer.
“Since unveiling our all-new electric bus chassis at the School Transportation News conference in Reno in July, we are now putting our electric-powered school bus through rigorous testing and have demonstrated its on-road capabilities to a number of potential customers,” he explained. “The response to the vehicle’s power, smooth ride and quietness, all with zero emissions, has been outstanding.”
Blue Bird is following up a ride and drive event for alternative energy suppliers in September with a similar opportunity for student transporters on Nov. 5 in Columbus, Ohio in conjunction with national school bus association conferences.
