GreenPower Motor Company this week kicked off Round 5 of its West Virginia all-electric school buses pilot project, this time in Calhoun, Putnam, and Roane county school districts. Upshur County also is expected to keep piloting the Nano BEAST Type A bus, making it the first school district during the project to use the school bus past the six-week mark. 

"Over the course of the 2022-23 school year our BEAST and Nano BEAST have proven their capabilities in cold weather, snowy conditions and mountainous terrain in both rural and urban counties across the state. In short, the GreenPower school buses have performed exactly as we expected them to," said GreenPower CEO and Chairman Fraser Atkinson. "The pilot project has allowed more children to experience a healthier transportation alternative without sacrificing reliability for the school districts involved. We are looking forward to providing Calhoun, Putnam, Roane and Upshur County school districts a safe, sustainable way for children going to and from school during this round."

This round of the pilot project comes one week after the state of West Virginia announced the purchase of 41 Type D BEASTs and Type A Nano BEASTs from GreenPower for school districts in the state. During a press conference last week, county school district representatives from schools that had participated in the pilot praised the GreenPower purpose-built, all-electric school buses for their safety, handling ability and range performance in all conditions.

GreenPower indicated that it will continue to support school districts transitioning to electric buses through installing the proper charging infrastructure and the necessary training for the first responders, mechanics, and school bus drivers in these counties.