Nuvve, Blue Bird Team to Build First All-Electric Texas School Bus Fleet

Nuvve Holding Corp., a global technology company aiming to accelerate the electrification of transportation through its proprietary vehicle-to-grid (V2G) platform, and school bus manufacturer Blue Bird Corporation have replaced the Martinsville Independent School District (ISD)’s diesel fleet with five Blue Bird Vision electric buses, five Nuvve Level II chargers and the innovative AI-powered Nuvve FleetBox 2.0 charge management software. 

Martinsville ISD is now officially the first Texas school district to boast an all-electric school bus fleet, according to the Texas Electric School Bus Project, a nonprofit that tracks school transportation electrification in the state. Blue Bird’s Vision electric, zero-emission school buses can carry a maximum of 71 students for up to 120 miles on a single charge. Based on Nuvve’s advanced battery charging infrastructure offerings, the buses require only a small portion of the day to fully recharge.

Martinsville ISD Principal Keith Kimbrough said: “We’re a small district, but proud to be leading the way on sustainable and clean commutes for Texas school children. Before I became an educator, I was in the construction industry. Now, after working so closely with Nuvve, Blue Bird and Rush Truck Centers, I’m a believer in clean transportation and clean wind power for Texas communities like mine. I’m proud to have managed the process of converting from diesel to electric from beginning to end, and we’re convinced other districts will take notice of what we’re doing here. We are happy to share the playbook and, over time, our results.”

"We’re proud of the work our Nuvve K-12 team and partners are doing to advise and fully support Martinsville Independent School District on its electrification journey, as it achieves this milestone and also marks our first installation in Texas," said Nuvve CEO Gregory Poilasne. 

Blue Bird, a century-old school bus builder, helps school districts in Texas and across North America accelerate the adoption of its electric, zero-emission school buses. 

"We are pleased to team up with Nuvve and our local dealer partner Rush to help Martinsville ISD shift to clean student transportation,” said Blue Bird President Britton Smith. “With more than 1,500 electric vehicles on the road, Blue Bird is the undisputed leader in zero-emission school buses. We look forward to continuing to drive innovation and sustainability in Texas, and to inspiring other districts based on our partnership with Nuvve and the Martinsville model.”

Kimbrough secured a $1.58 million Clean School Bus grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in October 2022 to help underwrite the project. He also partnered with Rush Truck Centers as dealer, Blue Bird for the fleet, and Nuvve K-12 to consult and provide the right chargers and software for the district’s routes and daily charging needs.