Blue Bird Premieres Next-Generation Electric School Bus at STN Expo West
July 11 2023 - 10:00AM
Business Wire
New Vision Electric Bus Features Extended
Range, Faster Battery Charging, and Increased Seating Capacity
Blue Bird Corporation (Nasdaq: BLBD), the leader in electric and
low-emission school buses, will premiere its next-generation Vision
electric school bus at STN Expo West, a leading student
transportation industry and technology event in North America. The
state-of-the-art, zero-emission vehicle will be on display for the
first time from July 14-19, 2023, at booth 317 inside the
Peppermill Resort in Reno, Nev.
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Blue Bird premiers its next-generation
Vision electric school bus at STN Expo West. The state-of-the-art
electric vehicle features an extended range, faster battery
charging capabilities, and an increased seating capacity. Blue
Bird’s new Type C school bus will be on display from July 14-19,
2023, in Reno, Nev. (Photo: Business Wire)
The Vision vehicle launch represents a continued partnership
between Blue Bird and Accelera by Cummins, Cummins' zero-emissions
technology business segment. This new Type C electric school bus
features a proven powertrain platform and a next-generation battery
with a capacity of 196kWh, a more than 25 percent capacity increase
compared to today’s model bus. The battery enables a vehicle range
of up to 130 miles on a single charge. The next-generation battery
takes merely three hours to fully recharge since it supports a
fast-charging rate of 80kW.
In addition, Blue Bird improved the warranty on the upgraded
system to allow for 360 MWh of energy throughput, more than double
the amount compared to the standard battery offering. This will
benefit Blue Bird customers who utilize the batteries'
revenue-generating vehicle-to-grid (V2G) capabilities. V2G
technology allows EV fleet operators to sell excess energy stored
in school bus batteries back to electric power companies at a
profit.
The next-generation compact and lightweight batteries contribute
to improved efficiency and a vehicle weight reduction of
approximately 1,000 lbs. In turn, Blue Bird increased the seating
capacity of its new Vision electric bus to 77 passengers, up from
72 passengers.
In addition, the advanced Vision electric school bus performs
even better in cold weather climates than its predecessor. An
improved engineering design and internally insulated batteries
limit the heat loss in the vehicle’s next-generation energy storage
system. Furthermore, a new optional fuel-fired heating system
generates over 20 percent more cabin heat than the current
solution.
“Over the past century, Blue Bird has emerged as an iconic
company at the forefront of technology advancement and innovation
in the school bus industry,” said Britton Smith, president of Blue
Bird Corporation, which operates nearly 1,000 electric school buses
in North America today. “With our next-generation Vision electric
school bus, we continue to take clean student transportation to the
next performance level and provide superior, zero-emission buses to
school districts across North America. Blue Bird is ever
evolving.”
Blue Bird will continue to build its next-generation electric
school buses at its manufacturing facility in Fort Valley, Ga. The
company recently celebrated the grand opening of its EV Build-up
Center, which will enable Blue Bird to increase its long-term
production capacity to 5,000 electric school buses a year. Accelera
will supply the electric powertrain for Blue Bird’s new Vision
electric school bus. Blue Bird and Cummins have collaborated on
technology innovation for decades and continue to serve school
districts nationwide.
"Accelera's partnership with Blue Bird is in its fifth year, and
together we are providing safe, efficient and sustainable electric
school buses in North America,” said Brian Wilson, general manager
of electrified components at Accelera. “Decarbonizing fleets is not
easy, but collaborations like this are defining a new era of
excellence in technology innovation and service support."
Apart from showcasing its next-generation EV bus, Blue Bird will
host a panel discussion titled “EV Charging Infrastructure –
Everything you need to know from EV charging experts” as part of
the Green Bus Summit at STN Expo West. The expert panel will
feature top managers of leading EV charging infrastructure
providers Nuvve, InCharge Energy, and Girardin Énergie. The
roundtable will take place on July 16, 2023, from 10-10:50 a.m.
PT.
Blue Bird is the only U.S.-owned and operated school bus
manufacturer in the United States. The company remains the proven
clean transportation leader with more than 20,000 propane, natural
gas, and electric-powered buses in operation today. The transition
to clean student transportation helps Blue Bird to sustain
approximately 2,000 good-paying jobs in the United States.
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.
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Julianne Barclay TSN Communications M: +1.267.934.5340 E:
julianne@tsncommunications.com
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