Blue Bird to Offer Electric Repower Option for Gasoline- and Propane-Powered School Buses
August 03 2022 - 11:00AM
Business Wire
- Blue Bird expands collaboration with Lightning eMotors to offer
factory certified electric repower program
- Blue Bird customers can future-proof their school bus fleet by
purchasing gasoline- or propane-powered vehicles and converting
them easily and cost-effectively to zero-emission, electric buses
later
- Repowering seen as an excellent bridge strategy to
electrification for school bus fleets
Blue Bird Corporation (Nasdaq: BLBD), the leader in electric and
low-emission school buses, will offer a first-of-its-kind factory
certified electric repower program on select gasoline- and
propane-powered Blue Bird school buses. The company is
collaborating with Lightning eMotors, a Colorado-based manufacturer
of electric powertrains and complete zero-emission vehicle
solutions, to jointly develop this repower electric vehicle (EV)
powertrain system. Blue Bird customers can future-proof their
school bus fleet by purchasing gasoline- or propane-powered
vehicles and converting them easily and cost-effectively to
zero-emission, electric buses later.
This press release features multimedia. View
the full release here:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220803005655/en/
Blue Bird will offer an electric repower
program on its gasoline- and propane-powered Vision school buses
starting in 2023. The company expands its collaboration with
Colorado-based Lightning eMotors. Blue Bird customers can
future-proof their school bus fleet by purchasing gasoline- or
propane-powered vehicles and converting them easily to
zero-emission, electric buses when needed. (Image provided by
Lightning eMotors)
Blue Bird will launch the repower program in 2023 for gasoline-
and propane-powered Blue Bird Vision Type C school buses built
after September 2021. The electric repower system will enable the
same performance and safety standards customers expect from
OEM-built electric vehicles. The electric powertrain system will
allow for several battery configurations from 100kWh to 225kWh
supporting a projected vehicle range of up to 150 miles on a single
charge depending on battery configuration.
The school bus conversion process from gasoline- or
propane-powered to electric will be done to the same OEM safety and
quality standards as a new Blue Bird bus at authorized Blue Bird
and Lightning eMotors conversion centers in the United States and
Canada. Highly trained technicians will replace the internal
combustion engine with an advanced EV powertrain, properly test the
equipment, and certify the school bus. The bus will retain the
remainder of its original warranties, and the EV powertrain will be
issued a new OEM warranty. The full repower process could be
completed within 30 days from vehicle delivery to the authorized
conversion center.
“An increasing number of states such as New York are in the
process of mandating the purchase of all zero-emission school buses
starting in 2027 to reduce harmful greenhouse gases and put student
and community health first,” said Britton Smith, senior vice
president of electrification and chief strategy officer of Blue
Bird Corporation. “Currently, gasoline- and propane-powered school
buses serve as lower up-front cost vehicle choices compared to
electric vehicles, and emit less greenhouse gases than a
traditional diesel bus. Blue Bird’s innovative repower program
allows customers to invest in new school buses to meet their
current transportation needs with a built-in option to transition
to zero-emission, electric student transportation when needed.”
The repower program builds on the cooperation between
95-year-old school bus manufacturer Blue Bird and electric
powertrain manufacturer Lightning eMotors. Lightning eMotors draws
from its broad EV repowering experience based on over 300
zero-emission electric commercial vehicles in operation and over 2
million real-world fleet miles driven to-date.
Blue Bird and Lightning eMotors recently announced a unique
Class 5-6 electric vehicle platform to expand Blue Bird’s
zero-emission transportation solutions to the commercial and
recreational vehicle markets. Blue Bird's flexible Class 5-6
chassis will enable a broad range of fully-electric vehicles,
including last-mile delivery step vans, motorhomes, and other
specialty vehicles. Blue Bird plans to launch production of its
Class 5-6 EV chassis in late 2023.
"Repowering gasoline and propane Type C school buses is a good
solution for school bus fleets that may not have the charging
infrastructure in place yet but still need to purchase new buses
now,” said Tim Reeser, chief executive officer of Lightning
eMotors. “Being able to purchase new buses with the understanding
that Blue Bird and Lightning eMotors can repower them to
zero-emissions at a later date with complete charging and
telematics support is a great bridge strategy to
electrification."
Blue Bird is the only U.S.-owned and operated school bus
manufacturer in the United States with over 170,000 school buses on
the road today. The company remains the proven clean transportation
leader with more than 20,000 propane, natural gas, and
electric-powered buses in operation today.
About Blue Bird Corporation
Blue Bird (NASDAQ: BLBD) is recognized as a technology leader
and innovator of school buses since its founding in 1927. Our
dedicated team members design, engineer and manufacture school
buses with a singular focus on safety, reliability, and durability.
Blue Bird buses carry the most precious cargo in the world – the
majority of 25 million children twice a day – making us the most
trusted brand in the industry. The company is the proven leader in
low- and zero-emission school buses with more than 20,000 propane,
natural gas, and electric powered buses in operation today. Blue
Bird is transforming the student transportation industry through
cleaner energy solutions. For more information on Blue Bird's
complete product and service portfolio, visit
www.blue-bird.com.
About Lightning eMotors
Lightning eMotors (NYSE: ZEV) has been providing specialized and
sustainable fleet solutions since 2009, deploying complete
zero-emission-vehicle (ZEV) solutions for commercial fleets since
2018 – including Class 3 cargo and passenger vans, ambulances,
Class 4 and 5 cargo vans and shuttle buses, Class 4 Type A school
buses, Class 6 work trucks, Class 7 city buses, and Class A motor
coaches. The Lightning eMotors team designs, engineers, customizes,
and manufactures zero-emission vehicles to support the wide array
of fleet customer needs with a full suite of control software,
telematics, analytics, and charging solutions to simplify the
buying and ownership experience and maximize uptime and energy
efficiency. To learn more, visit our website at
https://lightningemotors.com.
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220803005655/en/
Julianne Barclay TSN Communications M: +1.267.934.5340 E:
julianne@tsncommunications.com
Lightning eMotors (NYSE:ZEV)
Historical Stock Chart
From Mar 2024 to Apr 2024
Lightning eMotors (NYSE:ZEV)
Historical Stock Chart
From Apr 2023 to Apr 2024