Coming Soon: Blue Bird Zero-Emission School Buses

September 29, 2017by Colorado West Equipment0

The Future Is Electric

Most eco-friendly school bus
The development of a zero-emission school bus is going to be the most eco-friendly bus on the market.

Blue Bird has always been the leader in alternative fuel bus solutions. Therefore, it should come as no surprise when Blue Bird announced that they had been given a $4.4 million grant from the Department of Energy to develop an all-electric, zero-emission school bus. At this year’s Advanced Clean Transportation EXPO, Blue Bird and their partners, TransPower, teased us with a few details about their progress.

Zero-Emission Electric School Bus

In recent years, Blue Bird has led the charge toward alternative fuel school buses. Our Blue Bird Vision that runs on propane autogas is the latest in that effort. Now, Blue Bird is in the process of developing a zero-emission, 100% V2G electric school bus. The goal is to have new electric school buses on the market by 2019.

Not the First Electric School Bus

The concept of electric school buses isn’t new to the Blue Bird family. In fact, Blue Bird was the first company to put an electric school bus on the market back in 1994. Since then, they’ve kept a close eye on this developing technology. Now, Blue Bird is developing 16 new electric buses at the Fort Valley, GA, plant.

Government Grant Requires Electric Bus to Be Affordable

Propane powered school buses
Propane powered buses are the most eco-friendly buses currently on the market.

Of course, we understand that every school district is under pressure when it comes to spending. New technology is rarely cheap, at least not in the beginning, but part of the requirements for getting a government grant isn’t just to develop groundbreaking new technology to reduce emissions. We are also required to design a bus that is affordable.

V2G Technology Will Reduce the Cost of Electric School Buses

To fulfill the “low cost” requirements of the grant, Blue Bird is looking to implement Vehicle to Grid (V2G) technology. This type of technology allows the electric school buses not only to be powered by the grid but to put electricity back into the grid. The V2G technology will greatly save your school district precious resources in the long term.

Most Energy-Efficient School Bus on the Market

If you need to add school buses or upgrade your aging fleet, the Blue Bird Vision is the most cost-effective and energy-efficient school bus on the market today.

Talk to a representative about how alternative fuel buses will save your district money on the purchase, operation, and maintenance.

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