Blue Bird Unveils All-New, Electric-Powered Type C School Bus at NAPT Conference
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Blue Bird Corporation (NASDAQ: BLBD) unveiled its all-new Blue Bird Vision Electric Type C school bus at the NAPT conference in Columbus, OH. The electric powertrain is supplied by ADOMANI (ADOM), with drivetrain and vehicle control software developed and produced by their technology partner, Efficient Drivetrains, Inc. (EDI).
The latest in the lineup of Blue Bird electric buses integrates the ADOMANI/EDI drivetrain and vehicle control software and telematics, delivering zero-emissions driving with outstanding vehicle performance and torque. Blue Bird’s all-new Type C bus features up to 100 miles of electric range, with a full charge time of under 8 hours by utilizing a Type 2 charger and a battery capacity of 150kWh. This announcement follows a recent unveil of Blue Bird’s Type D All American Rear-Engine Electric school bus at the STN tradeshow in July 2017, powered by the same ADOMANI/EDI partnership.
“We are excited to reveal our latest alternative-fuel option for the school bus market in 2018,” said Phil Horlock, president and CEO of Blue Bird Corporation. “We want to offer the broadest range of school bus products in the market and take pride in leading the industry in propane and gasoline-powered school buses. Electric-power is the next step on our journey, and our exclusive partnership with ADOMANI/EDI will bring both Type C and Type D electric buses to our customers next year. Blue Bird strives to be first to market in offering customers smart, innovative and affordable solutions that they want and value.”
The electric drivetrain technology used in Blue Bird’s Vision and All American RE Electric vehicles has already been proven on the road in over 2.5 million miles of driving. Further, Blue Bird pioneered its first electric bus in 1994 for a Southern California demonstration project and has extensive on-road experience. This experience enabled Blue Bird to secure a $4.4M Department of Energy grant earlier this year to develop a Vision Type C electric-powered bus, with full Vehicle to Grid (V2G) functionality. In partnership with ADOMANI/EDI, Blue Bird will deliver these products.
“The drivetrain has a proven track record of success in EV applications, and has performed extremely well in multiple testing scenarios,” said Jim Reynolds, president and CEO of ADOMANI. “Add that to Blue Bird’s proven, safety-driven bus design, and you won’t find a better EV bus product out there.”
Prior to the unveiling at NAPT, Blue Bird hosted an “Electric Ride-and-Drive” event at the NAPT Convention, with over 100 school district representatives in attendance. It featured their recently unveiled Blue Bird All American RE Electric bus and customer response was outstanding.
“The ride and drive feedback has been outstanding,” said Mark Terry, Blue Bird’s chief commercial officer. “Customers love the quiet ride and the proven drivetrain solution: many are already looking at placing orders as soon as the bus becomes available.”
The new bus will be available in 2018.
About Blue Bird Corporation: Celebrating its 90th year in business, Blue Bird (NASDAQ: BLBD) is the leading independent designer and manufacturer of school buses, with more than 550,000 buses sold since its formation in 1927 and approximately 180,000 buses in operation today. Blue Bird’s longevity and reputation in the school bus industry have made it an iconic American brand. Blue Bird distinguishes itself from its principal competitors by its singular focus on the design, engineering, manufacture and sale of school buses and related parts. As the only manufacturer of chassis and body production specifically designed for school bus applications, Blue Bird is recognized as an industry leader for school bus innovation, safety, product quality/reliability/durability, operating costs and drivability. In addition, Blue Bird is the market leader in alternative fuel applications with its propane-powered and compressed natural gas-powered school buses. Blue Bird manufactures school buses at two facilities in Fort Valley, Georgia. Its Micro Bird joint venture operates a manufacturing facility in Drummondville, Quebec, Canada. Service and after-market parts are distributed from Blue Bird’s parts distribution center located in Delaware, Ohio. For more information on Blue Bird’s complete line of buses, visit www.blue-bird.com.
About ADOMANI: ADOMANI, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADOM) is a provider of zero-emission electric and hybrid vehicles and replacement drivetrains that is focused on reducing the total cost of vehicle ownership. ADOMANI designs its drivetrain systems to help fleet operators unlock the benefits of green technology and address the challenges of traditional fuel price instability and local, state and federal environmental regulatory compliance. ADOMANI designs advanced zero-emission electric and hybrid drivetrain systems for integration in new school buses and medium to heavy-duty commercial fleet vehicles. ADOMANI recently opened a new headquarters location in Corona, California and maintains an administrative office in Silicon Valley.
About Efficient Drivetrains :Efficient Drivetrains, Inc. (EDI) develops and markets a range of state-of-the-art PHEV and EV drivetrain solutions worldwide. EDI’s leading-edge hybrid-electric drivetrain systems and technologies enable OEMs to meet zero-emissions requirements while providing significant cost and efficiency advantages for parallel and series hybrid, and electric drivetrain architectures across nearly all platform classes and configurations. EDI is active in commercial automotive projects throughout North America and the APAC region. Visit www.efficientdrivetrains.com for more information.
