Chris Charlton, the former director of business development for Collins Bus Corp. in Hutchinson, Kansas, is the new national account director for bus and fleet transportation at SEA Electric, an automotive technology company that develops battery electric power systems for commercial vehicles.

With more than 25 years of industry experience, including a diverse background in business development within the technology and digital marketing arenas, Charlton will lead SEA Electric’s national growth within the school bus fleet and transit shuttle markets, according to a news release from SEA Electric.

“A large portion of our business lies in the retrofitting of fleet units, and Chris’s vast experience will aid our abilities to grow partnerships with charging infrastructures and utilities nationwide,” said Tony Fairweather, president and founder of SEA Electric, in the news release.

Charlton will also focus on building partnerships with OEMs, contractors, and the largest school district fleets, according to the company.

“SEA Electric is providing substantial technological and cost-efficient solutions for electrification to school bus fleets, shuttles, and overall commercial transit — it couldn’t be a more exciting time to join the company and foster exponential growth within the United States and Canada,” Charlton said.

Founded in Australia in 2012, SEA Electric created its electric power system technology, known as SEA-Drive, for urban delivery and distribution fleets. The company currently partners with commercial vehicle OEMs, dealers, operators, and upfitters to deliver a new range of zero-emissions trucks and is on schedule to deliver more than 1,000 electric commercial vehicles this year, according to SEA Electric. The company also expects to have more than 15,000 vehicles on the road by the end of 2023.