West Virginia-based GreenPower Motor Company has delivered its first Type D BEAST all-electric school bus to the Kanawha County (WV) School District in time for the beginning of the new school year.
"Today marks yet another milestone for GreenPower in the all-electric school bus market as the first BEAST manufactured in West Virginia gets delivered," said Fraser Atkinson, GreenPower CEO. "Last December the first four Nano BEASTs manufactured at the facility were delivered and this delivery is the next step in the South Charleston plant operating as planned."
GreenPower is no stranger to BEVs thanks to its zero-emission medium and heavy-duty vehicles already serving in the cargo and deliver markets, shuttle and transit space and school bus sectors.
[Related: GreenPower's first all-electric buses roll off production line]
The Type D BEAST is capable of delivering 150 miles on a single charge thanks to its 194 kWh battery and can carry up to 90 passengers plus the driver. It is manufactured at the company's South Charleston, West Virginia plant, the BEAST
The larger Mega BEAST electric school bus, to compare, was first revealed last October and can travel upwards of 300 miles courtesy of its 387 kWh battery pack. The manufacturer says it currently has 37 Type D BEASTS in production that have been ordered by West Virginia. All units are expected to be delivered to the school districts by the end of the calendar year.
"This first BEAST helped us verify our production process in the plant just like the first Nano BEAST production last year verified that line process," said GreenPower's Vice President of Production Wendell White. "We can and are now proceeding with a full manufacturing plan for both the BEAST and Nano BEAST at the South Charleston facility that will produce all-electric school buses to complement our California and contract manufacturing to meet the nationwide demand for GreenPower all-electric, purpose-built school buses."
According to the OEM's website, the Type D BEAST has "a unified structure that features a seamlessly integrated aluminum body made from extruded aluminum manufactured by Constellium on a high-strength steel Truss (bus) chassis. Its complete flat floor design allows for tracking with no obstacles, and the high floors keep students out of the crash zone."
