Green Talk With RIDE: How It Started, How It’s Going

July 12, 2026

RENO, Nev. – An STN EXPO West session by Jason Yan, director of sales operations for RIDE, delivered a comprehensive and engaging account of the evolution of electric school buses, tracing the journey from the first bus delivery to a position of industry leadership.

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Yan opened “Green Talk With Ride: How It Started, How It’s Going” Sunday morning with a lighthearted “football, not soccer” anecdote, connecting the spirit of World Cup perseverance to the company’s story. He described the early Type D Dreamer school bus, initially equipped with coach seating, and the subsequent introduction of the Type A Achiever and Type C Creator. The Achiever and Creator each offer ADA and non-ADA versions, hydraulic air brake systems, battery capacities of 155, 282, and 255 kWh.

Blade battery technology, recognized with STN awards and now standard in Type C buses, is set to expand to other models, enhancing safety through rigorous testing—including penetration tests, extreme weather trials from 115 degree to -24 degree, and structural assessments like the Colorado Rack Test, Kentucky Pole Test, and side intrusion tests.

Yan highlighted battery performance and the avoidance of thermal events, sharing real-world mileage reports for Type A ranging from 120 to 200 miles with varying state of charge (SOC) remaining. He underscored the company’s conservative estimates and culture: “Promise what you can do and do what you can promise,” inspired by a Long Beach Transit inspector in California. The nearby Lancaster factory, home to 750 dedicated employees, has delivered over 500 units, out of 1500 ordered, including the largest V2G school bus deployment in Northern California. Expansion began in California in 2023, extended to Oregon and Washington in 2024, and continues with state certification and cooperative RFPS contracts beginning in 2025.

Yan emphasized ongoing bus modification, redesigns, validation, and OEM leadership, ensuring quiet, beautiful, robust structure buses. Partnerships with school districts, community support, and employee dedication were celebrated, with invitations to tour the Lancaster facility. He thanked the STN Media team and partners, noting achievements like STN EXPO innovation awards for the Achiever in 2023, the Creator in 2024, and blade battery technology in 2025. Future plans include continued facility and battery production expansion.

“The last five years were about proving electric buses are one available option for school districts,” Yan said. “And the next five years is about making them the industry standard.”

The session blended technical innovation, community engagement, and a vision for sustainable school transportation.

This article was written with the assistance of a live transcript and AI.