GreenPower Motor Company Inc., a manufacturer and distributor of all-electric, purpose-built, zero-emission medium and heavy-duty vehicles serving the cargo and delivery market, shuttle and transit space and school bus sector, today announced that it has finalized the particulars for the order for 50 all-electric Type D BEAST and Mega BEAST and Type A Nano BEAST and Nano BEAST Access school buses for seven county school districts in West Virginia funded by the EPA Clean School Bus Program. The order is through GreenPower’s West Virginia dealer.
Development of the grant funded by EPA was a multi-step process designed to ensure the effective use of federal funds in deploying the most zero-emission school buses possible while creating a charging corridor throughout the state which allows for the all-electric school buses to operate both on local routes and longer distances.
GreenPower collaborated with its Dealer and Highland Electric Fleet and they, collectively, made depot visits to each school district to establish their needs. They then provided guidance on the charging infrastructure, drafted the application, met with the school districts’ Boards of Education for approval, and submitted the grant application to the EPA.
GreenPower’s BEAST is a purpose-built 40-foot Type D all-electric, zero-emission school bus with seating for up to 90 students. Designed from the ground up, it is a unified structure that features a seamlessly integrated aluminum body made from extruded aluminum manufactured by Constellium on a high strength steel Truss (bus) chassis. The complete flat floor design allows for tracking with no obstacles, and the high floors keep students out of the crash zone. Dual port charging is standard with Level 2 rates up to 19.2 kW and DC Fast Charging rates up to 85 kW.
The Mega BEAST has a class-leading range of up to 300 miles on a single charge via a 387 kWh battery pack. It provides for the longest range, has the biggest battery pack in the school bus market, provides for more uphill climbing power and has the most desirable V2G capability for a more stable electric grid and community sustainability in areas where it is deployed.
The School Transportation News award-winning Nano BEAST has a standard 118 kWh battery pack and a range of up to 140 miles. Configured for up to 24 passengers, it features a seamlessly integrated aluminum body made from extruded aluminum manufactured by Constellium. The dual port charging is standard, with Level 2 rates up to 19.2 kW and DC Fast Charging rates up to 60 kW. The Nano BEAST Access has seating for up to 18 ambulatory passengers and up to 3+ Q’STRAINT wheelchair securements, complemented with a BraunAbility rear curbside lift.