GreenPower Motor Company Inc. heralds the largest single order and delivery to date of its all-electric BEAST school buses with six of the vehicles arriving in the Thermalito (Calif.) Union Elementary School District.

"Our vision for Thermalito UESD's EV Fleet was to provide drivers with transit-style school buses to allow for greater visibility and increased capacity. Upon visiting GreenPower's assembly facility in Porterville, Calif. and inspecting the vehicles, we found their fit, finish, and build quality to be evident," said Andrew Koster, director of maintenance, operations, and transportation at Thermalito UESD. "Additionally, our test drive solidified our expectations for performance, comfort, and, most importantly, range. The district is thrilled to deploy GreenPower's BEAST school buses to provide students with safe, comfortable rides while also cultivating a cleaner community."

New Study Urges School Districts Prepare for Electric Bus Transition

The BEAST (Battery Electric Automotive School Transportation) is a purpose-built, all-electric, 40-foot, Type D school bus with a range of up to 150 miles and a 194.5-kWh battery pack. The vehicles can charge up to 19 kW on a standard J1772 protocol or DC fast charge with additional standard features like air ride suspension, pass-through storage, and air disc brakes. The BEAST offers a monocoque chassis design and is built from the ground up to be battery-electric.

One of the school buses received funding from the Butte County Air Quality Management District through their clean vehicle incentive program. The other five school buses received funding from the California Energy Commission (CEC) California Clean Energy Jobs Act Prop 39, which has awarded schools with more than $1.7 billion over the last five years to plan and install energy efficiency upgrades, clean energy generation measures, and zero-emission transportation.

"This delivery to Thermalito UESD is our largest school bus delivery to date, made possible by the focused efforts of our production and sales teams," said Ryne Shetterly, vice president of sales and marketing at GreenPower. "GreenPower will continue to set the standard for student transportation as the BEAST demonstrates its quality on a larger scale."