The rebrand of Cummins’ new power unit will enable school bus manufacturer Blue Bird to further make advancements to its electric school buses (ESBs).
The companies announced earlier this month that they will work together to manufacture 1,000 ESBs over the next 12 to 18 months.
A Blue Bird spokesman cited recent advancements in battery thermal management, vehicle electronic stability control, and vehicle-to-grid, bi-directional charging capability as examples of how Blue Bird’s Vision Electric has evolved since first hitting the market in 2018.
Britton Smith, Blue Bird’s senior vice president of electrification and chief strategy officer, told School Transportation News that additional improvements aimed at safety, efficiency and reliability are planned for release this year, as it ramps up the relationship with Accelera by Cummins.
“We are actively working to ensure that we continue to provide the safest and most reliable ESBs to our customers,” added Smith, who facilitates a panel discussion on school bus electrification at ACT EXPO in May. “Blue Bird continues to build on its powertrain partnership with Cummins to meet increasing demand for electric, zero-emission school buses across North America. Both companies remain committed to decarbonizing the student transportation sector.”
Accelera is the result of over $1.5 billion in investments Cummins has made to its electrification efforts, which includes the acquisition of Meritor and the Blue Horizon electric powertrain as well as hydrogen fuel-cell development.
Related: Details Begin to Emerge on Cummins Experience at STN EXPO Indianapolis
Related: Cummins Heralds the Advent of Fuel-Agnostic Engines
Related: (STN Podcast E152) Plusses and Minuses: Honest Considerations for Electric, Clean Fuel Buses
