Blue Bird has spent nearly a century designing and manufacturing school buses with a focus on safety, reliability and durability. The company has also established a long history in alternative-fuel transportation, introducing its first electric school bus in 1994. Today, Blue Bird offers zero-emission options in conventional and transit-style configurations, giving school districts the flexibility to select an electric bus suited to their routes, passenger requirements and operating environments.
The company’s current electric school bus lineup includes the Type C Vision Electric and the Type D All American RE Electric. Both models pair familiar Blue Bird designs with an updated electric powertrain built to provide practical range, flexible charging and reduced maintenance requirements.
Blue Bird Vision Electric
The Vision Electric offers passenger capacity for up to 77 students and a gross vehicle weight rating of up to 33,000 pounds. Its conventional Type C design incorporates Blue Bird’s driver visibility, unitized passenger compartment construction and service accessibility.
Power comes from the Cummins PowerDrive 7000 propulsion system with a TM4 SUMO electric motor. The system produces up to 315 peak horsepower and 2,400 pound-feet of peak torque. Its 194-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack provides a maximum estimated range of up to 150 miles per charge, depending on the drive cycle, driver behavior, accessory demand and heating or air-conditioning use.
Multiple floor plans are available, along with options intended to support different district applications. These include a wheelchair lift, roof- or skirt-mounted high-voltage air conditioning, battery insulation, auxiliary heating and luggage or tool compartments. The bus is available with air brakes or optional hydraulic brakes and has a 50-degree wheel cut for maneuverability.
Standard safety features include four-wheel antilock brakes, electronic stability control and a backup camera integrated into the driver’s rearview mirror. The bus also includes an exterior sound generator that operates at speeds below 20 mph, helping alert pedestrians to the presence of the otherwise quiet vehicle.
Blue Bird All American RE Electric
For districts requiring a higher-capacity transit-style bus, the All American RE Electric accommodates up to 84 passengers and has a gross vehicle weight rating of up to 36,000 pounds. Its rear-engine configuration provides a spacious passenger compartment, a 32-inch-wide entrance door and multiple wheelbase choices.
Like the Vision Electric, the All American RE uses the Cummins PowerDrive 7000 propulsion system and a 194-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack. Blue Bird lists a maximum range of up to 150 miles per charge. The vehicle features air brakes, a 50-degree wheel cut and front and rear axles designed for the demands of full-size school bus service.
Both electric models use a standard CCS1 charging connector and support AC Level 2 charging and DC fast charging. Level 2 charging can replenish the battery in approximately eight hours, making overnight charging practical for many fleets. With compatible DC fast-charging equipment, a full charge can be completed in approximately two hours.
Updated Battery Technology
Blue Bird’s standard Accelera BP97E battery pack is designed and built in the United States. Its 194-kilowatt-hour capacity provides approximately 40 percent more usable capacity than the company’s previous pack. Higher energy density and a lighter design help extend range while providing increased payload capability.
An advanced battery management system is designed to improve efficiency and battery life. Updated thermal management and preconditioning help keep the batteries within their optimal temperature range and support operation in hot and cold weather. The pack supports DC fast charging at up to 120 kilowatts.
Blue Bird’s electric buses are also vehicle-to-grid capable and designed to export up to 60 kilowatts of energy. With suitable infrastructure and utility coordination, this capability may allow a parked bus to return stored power to the electrical grid or support broader energy-management strategies.
With two full-size electric configurations, flexible charging capabilities and up to 150 miles of potential range, Blue Bird provides districts with options for moving toward zero-emission transportation while retaining the capacity, safety features and operational familiarity expected from a school bus.
For more information, visit www.blue-bird.com.