Blue Bird Corporation reported in a news release that it has received an order for eight electric school buses from Orange Unified School District (OUSD) in California. Due to the purchase, the school district will more than double the size of its current Blue Bird electric school bus fleet.

Orange Unified School District started transitioning to electric school buses in 2021 by purchasing seven Blue Bird All American Type D electric school buses. The district anticipates delivery of the eight buses in the fourth quarter of 2022.

Orange Unified School District is expected to benefit from considerable cost-saving opportunities by reducing or eliminating the fuel and maintenance costs tied to traditional diesel-powered vehicles. Select Blue Bird customers reported fuel costs of up to 49 cents per mile for their diesel buses, compared to an average of 14 cents per mile in energy costs for electric buses. The school district could save more than $120,000 a year in fuel costs alone by operating its EV fleet.

“The price of diesel fuel continues to rise sharply. With the purchase of Blue Bird electric school buses, Orange Unified School District is taking active steps to reduce our fossil fuel dependency, reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions, and improve community health,” said OUSD Director of Transportation Christina Celeste-Russo. “Orange Unified School District is leading the way to sustainable student transportation.”

“We are delighted to partner with the Orange Unified School District as they expand their Blue Bird electric school bus fleet,” said Blue Bird Corporation President and CEO Matthew Stevenson. “Blue Bird’s most advanced, electric-powered buses help Orange USD turn its vision of clean school bus transportation into reality. Soon, thousands of school children across the district will enjoy emission-free rides to school.”

Orange Unified School District recently purchased eight Blue Bird All American Type D electric school buses. The company’s All American Type D electric buses can carry a maximum of 84 passengers for up to 120 miles on a single charge. Depending on the charging infrastructure, they take between three and eight hours to fully recharge.

Blue Bird’s electric school buses were partially funded by California’s South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) and/or the Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP) funds.

Orange Unified School District educates approximately 28,000 students in grades TK through 12 who reside in the cities of Orange, Villa Park, Anaheim, Garden Grove, Santa Ana, and unincorporated areas of Orange County, California.