G
asoline continues to be the fuel of choice, and most widely available for the Type A school bus market. But things are slowly but surely getting electric. Battery-electric, that is, where zero emissions are
claimed at the tailpipe to not only improve the envi- ronment but also reduce operating expenses for school district and bus company fleets. Over two dozen Type A electric buses were built
during the 2019-2020 production period, according to school bus manufacturers responding to the annual School Transportation News Buyers Guide survey, which was published in January. The number may seem small in the grand scheme of things, but it is in indicative of a change in market direction. The number of electric minibuses is expected to greatly expand soon, especially with General Mo- tors announcing last month that it plans to cease manufacturing gasoline (and diesel) passenger vehicles by 2035. The timeline for its com- mercial line is likely not far behind, as GM in January announced its BrightSpot brand for commercial EV development. Ford, meanwhile, comes to market later this year with its E-Transit, though it will initially be made available only to the package delivery segment rather than the student one. All small bus body manufacturers now offer an EV
option, including new arrival The Lion Electric Compa- ny, which previously concentrated on conventional and transit-style electric buses. The Quebec-based manu- facturer is opening a new U.S. plant within the next two years, where the company plans to build 20,000 EVs each year—Lion also manufactures commercial trucks and transit buses. Currently, Lion is building a total of 2,500 EVs a year. Lion, which to date has been the largest electric school bus market-share leader, is now bullish on the small segment with the launch of its LionA mini-electric bus. It looks similar to its Type D transit-style bus relative, the LionD, but the LionA is 26-feet long rather than 40-feet long and carries up to 36 passengers rather than 84 pas- sengers. Company spokesman Brian Alexander told STN that Lion is optimistic school district customers will embrace
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