Blue Bird has taken more than 100 orders for electric school buses

The start of a school year is always exciting. Kids get new school supplies, new classes, new teachers, new lunch snacks, and this year, some will get brand-new school buses. Blue Bird Corporation announced it has received more than 100 orders for fully electric school buses, and deliveries are in progress. 

Blue Bird currently offers three different types of electric buses: The All American RE Electric, the Vision Electric, and the Micro Bird G5 Electric. The All-American, which can hold up to 84 passengers, and the Vision, which holds 77 passengers, both have claimed ranges of 120 miles. The smaller Micro Bird holds only 30 people but can still travel 100 miles on a single charge. The Vision Electric and All American are both propelled by Cummins electric powertrains. Charging time is estimated at 6-8 hours with a Level 2 charger, which shouldn’t be a problem for overnight refueling.

As of now, Blue Bird’s electric buses are already in action in California, North Dakota, and Washington. Further deliveries, which will continue through the end of the year and continue in 2020, will reach Colorado, New Jersey, New York, and Quebec, Canada. 

Blue Bird, which has also been working with Canada’s Lion Electric Company, is just one of many companies in the electrified bus business. Another player, the IC Bus ChargE, has the exact same range of 120 miles. Thus far, electric school buses have been slow to catch on, but we imagine that will change in the near future.