The South Carolina Department of Education said it will deploy 160 Thomas Built electric school buses in school districts across the state over the next year, under a new procurement finalized this month between the Department of Education and Interstate Transportation.
The Department of Education’s purchase of the 160 buses represents the single largest order of electric school buses funded entirely by the EPA’s new Clean School Bus Program to date.
No word on which school districts will be receiving electric school buses.
“The South Carolina Department of Education is proud to partner with Thomas Built Buses and Proterra to bring more zero-emission, all-electric school buses to our state. We’re excited to see the positive impact these buses will have on our community,” said Mike Bullman, transportation director for the South Carolina Department of Education. “This partnership puts South Carolina at the forefront of the vehicle electrification movement and brings us one step closer towards building a healthier and more sustainable future for the next generation of students.”
Thomas Built Buses and Proterra said they offer school bus operators a comprehensive, turn-key electric vehicle program that includes EV planning and funding consultation, electric school buses, charging systems, and charging infrastructure design and installation.
The Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley couples 226 kWh of onboard energy from Proterra Powered’s industry-leading battery technology to offer up to 135 miles of drive range to meet the needs of school bus fleets. With more than 300 TBB Proterra Powered electric school buses on the road, Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley electric school buses have driven more than one million miles for school districts across North America.
Thomas Built Buses is currently the only school bus manufacturer to offer DC fast charging architecture as standard equipment. The Jouley can charge in about three hours and can supply power back to the grid using vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology.
“We applaud the state of South Carolina for their commitment to providing emission-free pupil transportation solutions to the many areas awarded funding through the Clean School Bus Program,” said Kevin Bangston, president and CEO of Thomas Built Buses. “It’s an ambitious undertaking and we are proud to be a key partner in this initiative.”
