KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Electric vehicle manufacturer Adomani Inc. and Lion Bus, a Quebec-based school bus manufacturer, announced a North American dealership relationship at the National Association for Pupil Transportation (NAPT) trade show on Tuesday.

Adomani and Lion have established an exclusive arrangement that will allow Adomani to sell Lion's all-electric Type C school bus, the eLion, in Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington.

Adomani’s distribution abilities and the attributes of the eLion will help meet the growing demand in the region for zero-emission school transportation solutions and provide school bus fleet managers a product for upgrading their fleets while taking advantage of regional incentives, according to Adomani.

The eLion is equipped with a standard onboard telematics system that provides real-time data to end users, and offers a lifetime corrosion warranty on all exterior body panels, improved driver visibility, and a wider passenger entrance and aisle.

Additionally, the eLion TM4 electric motor provides equal power to the traditional diesel equivalent, and delivers ranges of 50, 75, and 100 miles, depending on the battery configuration, according to Adomani.  

“School districts across the nation are increasingly looking to replace traditional, older diesel-powered school buses with zero-emission vehicles that improve air quality, reduce fuel and service costs, and benefit general community health,” said Jim Reynolds, CEO of Adomani. “Having the opportunity to scale quickly and provide for increased demand for electric school buses by providing new, purpose-built vehicles from a premier manufacturer like Lion Bus will allow us to give school district managers the opportunity to immediately begin upgrading their fleets.”

“We were impressed by Adomani’s penetration into the school bus market and the expertise of Jim Reynolds, and we look forward to partnering with them to increase the deployment of zero-emission school buses in North America,” said Lion Bus President Marc Bedard.  

Adomani took possession of its first eLion bus at the trade show, and plans to announce its first orders in the coming months.