“To be honest with you, I think there’s a place for [diesel] right now as long as


it’s clean.” - Tim Shannon, Twin Rivers Unified School District in California


clean school buses, school dis- tricts will continue to transition from diesel-fueled to low- and zero-emission school buses.” The excitement about and


interest in repowered electric school buses is also becoming more popular and a cost-ef- fective option when compared to purchasing a traditional electric bus. Smith at Blue Bird explained that the OEM-certi- fied electric repowers provide an opportunity for school dis- tricts to purchase new propane or gasoline powered school buses to be used now, that could be converted later when the district is ready. “We see this as a popular


option for customers who are


not ready to fully convert to electric vehicles now but have a near-term need to purchase a new vehicle,” he said. “We also see this as a good oppor- tunity for customers who will have delays in establishing in- frastructure but need buses for student transportation today.” Blue Bird is developing a


repower solution with electric drive manufacturer Lightning eMotors. The repowers of model-year 2021 and newer gasoline and propane drive- trains will be OEM certified and retain the original Blue Bird warranty. Read more about Repowers on page 54. ●


Look here Not here


Your range issues - solved Without adding more batteries


Adding range is not about increasing the size of your batteries, it’s about getting the most out of your drive system. The Voith Electrical Drive System


voith.com 52 School Transportation News • MARCH 2023


(VEDS) is able to get up to 25% or more range, or decrease the size of your current battery pack. Talk about a game changer!


Learn more at bit.ly/voitheds


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