Blue Bird Corporation has announced that it has reached a milestone of being the first manufacturer to achieve 800 electric-powered school buses either delivered or on order.

That comes just a few months after the company reached 500 EV buses sold.

“We are seeing multiple opportunities every single day as customers increasingly want emissions-free transportation and the country aligns with zero-emissions and clean air incentives,” said Trevor Rudderham, Blue Bird’s senior vice president of electrification. “At a federal, state, and local level, funding support is growing for school systems to close the price gap between a new EV bus and a new diesel bus.

“We are thrilled at the number of EV deployments that showcase the short and long-term benefits of owning even just one EV bus. Safe, clean transportation remains our top priority.”

Blue Bird builds EV buses in Type A, C, and D body types at its facilities in Fort Valley, Ga. The company is optimistic that EV bus sales will continue to grow as clean air initiatives gain traction.

This year has followed the unfolding of the trillion-dollar infrastructure bill as a beacon for both school districts and bus manufacturers implementing clean-energy vehicles. The bill includes up to $5 billion to help schools and school transportation contractors purchase electric buses.

“With the expectation of incorporating more zero-emission vehicles into communities all across the U.S. and Canada, we are growing our production capacity for EV buses,” said Matthew Stevenson, president of Blue Bird. “Many states are setting their sights to be 100% electric by 2030 and we will be there to help with the transition.

“The next decade will reveal so much for growth, opportunity, and development of how we service our communities and Blue Bird is more than ready to drive the future of electric and alternative fuels buses.”

The company’s dealer network is a major part of its success, Stevenson said, helping to educate customers about the benefits of switching from diesel to electric, and finding ways to optimize costs in the transition.

“We are continuously working to reinforce our dealer network to provide bumper-to-bumper vehicle and infrastructure support for new and existing customers, and our team is working hard to keep our finger on the pulse of evolving technologies,” Stevenson said.