Vancouver-based GreenPower Motor Company (GP) is continuing to grow its presence in the battery-electric school bus market with the announcement of three new orders for its 11 Type D BEAST school bus.
A total of three school districts in Arizona, California, and Oregon recently placed orders but the manufacturer did not state when deliveries will begin.
"As school districts continue to make the change from NOx emitting diesel school buses to a cleaner, healthier means of transporting students, school district transportation departments are pursuing the gold standard of the industry – the GreenPower all-electric, purpose-built BEAST and Nano BEAST school buses," said Paul Start, GreenPower's vice president of sales. "With 2025 fast approaching, the GreenPower school bus order pipeline and production schedule are both at record levels with sales projections for next year set to eclipse the 2024 calendar year."
[Related: GreenPower's first all-electric buses roll off production line]
The just-announced orders, all from GreenPower's multi-state dealers, are for:
- Seven units for the Los Banos Unified School District in Los Banos, California
- Two units for the Casa Grande Elementary School District in Casa Grande, Arizona
- Two units for the Hood River County School District in Hood River, Oregon
The 40-foot, 90-passenger maximum BEAST was designed and engineered from the get-go as a battery-electric. It boasts a fully integrated structure with a corrosion resistant aluminum body that's bolted to a high-strength steel chassis. Because of its skateboard-like platform, it has a flat floor enabling adjustable track setting with no wheel wells in the passenger compartment. Students safety is obviously a priority, hence the high floor design that keeps them away from the impact zone.
The Type D BEAST is capable of delivering 150 miles on a single charge thanks to its 194 kWh battery. Charging is done via standard Level 2 and DC fast charging with rates up to 19.2 kW and 85 kW, respectively. The latter allows for a full charge in under three hours.
There's also the larger Mega BEAST electric school bus, revealed in October 2023. It's capable of traveling up to 300 miles thanks to its 387 kWh battery pack.
Production takes place at the company's South Charleston, West Virginia plant.
