Blue Hen, maker of iconic yellow faculty buses, confirmed off its next-generation Imaginative and prescient Sort C electrical faculty bus on the current STN Expo West, a commerce present for the scholar transportation trade.

The Imaginative and prescient’s powertrain was developed in partnership with Accelera, a enterprise section of engine-maker Cummins. The brand new electrical faculty bus contains a next-generation battery pack with a capability of 196 kWh, a 25-percent capability improve in comparison with Blue Hen’s present fashions. The battery permits a automobile vary of as much as 130 miles, and helps a fast-charging charge of 80 kW.

Blue Hen has improved the guarantee on the upgraded system to permit for 360 MWh of power throughput, greater than double the quantity in comparison with the usual battery providing. This can profit Blue Hen prospects who make the most of the batteries’ revenue-generating vehicle-to-grid (V2G) capabilities.

The subsequent-gen pack is extra compact and lighter than the present one. This allowed Blue Hen to scale back the automobile weight by 1,000 lbs and to extend the seating capability from 72 to 77 passengers.

There’s extra! The Imaginative and prescient e-bus performs even higher in chilly climates than its predecessor. An improved engineering design and internally insulated batteries restrict the warmth loss within the automobile’s power storage system. Moreover, a brand new non-obligatory fuel-fired heating system generates over 20 % extra cabin warmth.

“With our next-generation Imaginative and prescient electrical faculty bus, we proceed to take clear scholar transportation to the subsequent efficiency degree and supply superior, zero-emission buses to high school districts throughout North America,” mentioned Britton Smith, President of Blue Hen, which operates practically 1,000 electrical faculty buses in North America right this moment.

Blue Hen just lately celebrated the grand opening of its EV Construct-up Heart, which can allow it to extend its long-term manufacturing capability to five,000 electrical faculty buses a yr.

“Accelera’s partnership with Blue Hen is in its fifth yr, and collectively we’re offering protected, environment friendly and sustainable electrical faculty buses in North America,” mentioned Brian Wilson, Normal Supervisor of Electrified Elements at Accelera. “Decarbonizing fleets will not be straightforward, however collaborations like this are defining a brand new period of excellence in know-how innovation and repair help.”

Supply: Blue Hen