It’s business as usual for a partnership to develop all-electric school buses for Blue Bird amid a bid by Cummins, Inc. to acquire Efficient Drivetrains, Inc. (EDI) of Silicon Valley.
The deal is expected to close as soon as the end of July, a company official told School Transportation News on Monday. No financial details were disclosed.
EDI collaborates with ADOMANI, Inc. on developing the drivetrain for the Blue Bird Vision Electric and All American Electric school buses, which are entering mass production this summer. Last month, Blue Bird CEO Phil Horlock said it has received over 200 quotes from school districts for its new all-electric models.
“We have had a long relationship with [EDI] that started well before the Blue Bird exclusive agreement and expect that to continue,” Jim Reynolds, president and CEO of ADOMANI, told School Transportation News. “We are currently working on several other projects with them and look forward to that bearing fruit soon. Blue Bird and the relationship with them is important to both ADOMANI and EDI and we continue to work hard to supply them with the highest quality most competitive electric drivetrains possible.”
Cummins Chairman and CEO Tom Linebarger said in a statement on Monday that the acquisition is the logical next step in the company’s electrification and plug-in hybrid business. That has been in development for over a decade, but Cummins began investing heavily in it over the past nine months. Cummins also recently acquired Johnston-Matthey Battery Systems and Brammo electric motors.
“As power needs and technologies continue to evolve, Cummins remains committed to innovations that will deliver the right power solutions for the right applications at the right time to help our customers succeed,” Linebarger added. “This acquisition will combine EDI’s talented workforce and electrification capabilities with Cummins’ expertise in developing and manufacturing the technologies that power the world.”
