Thomas Built Buses Celebrates 200th Proterra Powered Electric School Bus Delivery
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A big milestone has been achieved by Thomas Built Buses. The company recently delivered its 200th Proterra Powered Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley battery-electric school bus. The 200th electric school bus was delivered to Monroe County Public Schools in Indiana. Monroe County Public Schools serves nearly 11,000 students from diverse populations in 23 schools.
Monroe County Public Schools started receiving electric school buses back in the fall of 2020, making it the first school district to receive electric school buses in the state of Indiana. The district has continued to grow its zero-emission fleet since then, ordering an additional two buses in 2021 and 10 buses in 2022.
“Our district is delighted to have received the 200th Jouley from TBB as we continue to lead electrification efforts for our students, staff, and the larger Bloomington community,” said Dr. Jeff Hauswald, superintendent for Monroe County Community School Corporation (MCCSC). “Beyond the long-term cost savings benefits, converting our fleet also helps us meet safety and sustainability goals set forth by the school administration, reducing CO2 emissions by 27 tons and saving 1,080 gallons of diesel per bus in our fleet. With every additional bus we convert, we’re only adding to those numbers.”
The electric school buses were purchased locally from Kerlin Bus Sales, which is a full-service Thomas Built Buses dealer in Indiana. This will be the sixth delivery of 13 electric school buses ordered by the school district. With a total of 85 primary bus routes, Monroe County Schools plans to switch over completely to all-electric Jouley buses from Thomas Built Buses. Recently, the district was awarded the “Electric School Bus Fleet Award” by Drive Clean Indiana for its strong electrification efforts.
TBB’s Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley electric school bus is powered by Proterra electric vehicle technology and is equipped with 226 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of total energy capacity in a Proterra Powered battery system. The buses have a two-speed transmission and an estimated operating range of up to 138 miles, which is sufficient for most bus routes. At the moment, TBB is the only school bus manufacturer to offer DC (direct current) fast-charging architecture as standard equipment. The Jouley can charge in approximately three hours and can supply power back to the power grid using vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology.
“We are thrilled to pave the way for a cleaner future for the children in Indiana and across the country,” said Kevin Bangston, president and CEO of TBB. “We believe electric school buses to be the future of pupil transportation and with quieter operation, lower operating costs, and zero emissions, MCCSC will continue to reap the cost and societal benefits of school bus fleet conversion. This milestone delivery is an important marker for Thomas Built Buses on our mission to provide school districts with the tools and technology needed to transition to cleaner futures for our students and communities.”
“Schools across America are driving towards a clean transportation future. Proterra congratulates Monroe County schools for their leadership in the growing movement of school districts that are embracing zero-emission, all-electric school buses. Now, with 200 Proterra Powered electric school buses on the road, we look forward to helping clean the air for more schoolkids and communities throughout the country,” said Chris Bailey, President of Proterra Powered & Energy.
Among a few of the perks that TBB and Proterra offer to school bus operators is a turn-key electric vehicle program. This includes funding and EV planning consultation, charging systems, and charging infrastructure design and installation.
“Kerlin Bus Sales is on a mission to make Indiana a pioneer for electric school bus operation and fleet management in the U.S.,” said Melanie Zehr, vice president of Kerlin Bus Sales. “MCCSC is a leading example of the many benefits beyond zero emissions that make the transition to electric worthwhile, including greater fuel cost savings as well as lower maintenance and operating costs.”
TBB has become an electric bus authority to help assist school districts across America to switch to electric transportation. The 200th nationwide deployment of battery-electric school buses represents a big milestone as cities, towns, and school districts continue to transition to all-electric school bus fleets.
Featured image courtesy of Thomas Built Buses
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