The South Carolina Department of Education has placed an order for 160 electric school buses with Thomas Built Buses (TBB), a North Carolina-based bus manufacturer and a subsidiary of Daimler Truck North America.
The order is for 160 Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley model buses that feature drive technology from U.S. automotive and energy storage company Proterra. The buses are also equipped with 226 kWh capacity batteries, providing up to 135 miles of range.
“This partnership puts South Carolina at the forefront of the vehicle electrification movement and brings us one step closer towards building a healthier and more sustainable future for the next generation of students,” said Mike Bullman, Transportation Director for the South Carolina Department of Education.
The Department of Education is procuring the electric buses through TBB dealer Interstate Transportation and plans to deploy them in school districts across the state over the next year.
The EV program offered by TBB and Proterra includes consultation, electric school buses, charging systems, and charging infrastructure design and installation. The buses offer DC fast charging as standard equipment and can be charged in about three hours. Additionally, they can provide power back to the grid using vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology.
According to TBB, the order represents the nation’s largest electric school bus procurement funded entirely through the EPA’s Clean School Bus Program to date.
“We applaud the state of South Carolina for their commitment to providing emission-free pupil transportation solutions to the many areas awarded funding through the Clean School Bus Program,” said Kevin Bangston, President and CEO of Thomas Built Buses. “It’s an ambitious undertaking and we are proud to be a key partner in this initiative.”
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