GreenPower ready to deliver electric school buses to West Virginia
Specifically, in March 2023, the US state of West Virginia announced it was acquiring 41 GreenPower custom-built, battery-electric school buses for $15 million. The models include Type D BEAST and Type A Nano BEAST school buses.
The order has since grown to 50 electric vehicles with a price tag of 18.5 million dollars. The funding comes from the US Environment Protection Agency (EPA). GreenPower President Brendan Riley explained the increase to the 50 school buses, saying Monongalia County School District was required to pay an additional $550,000 from its own school bus replenishment funds since the county is defined as non-priority by EPA.
“This electrification project is the type of activity Congress envisioned when it created the Clean School Bus Program in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,” Riley continued. “It is a collaborative effort between seven West Virginia school districts, GreenPower, GreenPower’s statewide school bus dealer and an infrastructure provider to replace outdated, dirty diesel buses with a safe, sustainable and sensible clean alternative to get kids to and from school and extracurricular activities in a healthier environment.”
The 50 GreenPower buses will be distributed among seven school districts in West Virginia:
- Cabell County School District – 6 BEASTs
- Calhoun County School District – 3 BEASTs and 1 Nano BEAST
- Clay County School District – 3 BEASTs
- County School District – 3 BEASTs and 2 Nano BEASTs
- Kanawha County School District – 21 BEASTs
- Lewis County School District – 6 BEASTs
- Monongalia County School District – 1 Mega BEAST and 4 Nano BEASTs
GreenPower launched the Nano Beast Type A electric school bus in March 2022. The technical specifications of the smaller Nano electric bus are as follows: A 118 kW battery powers the 24 seater, allowing for a range of up to 150 miles and a max power of 150 kW. It can charge the battery in 2 hours on a 60 kW DC charger, or use an 11 kW charging station, which takes up to 11 hours.
The Type D BEAST electric school bus is larger, featuring space for up to 90 passengers, as well as the driver, and a shorter range of 140 miles. The 194 kW battery powers a 350 kW drive system, which can reach a top speed of 68 mph. Charging for the electric school bus can be done in 3 1/2 hours on a 60 kW DC charger, or 10 1/2 hours on a 19 kW AC charging connection.
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