Collins Bus, a subsidiary of REV Group, Inc. and an industry leader in manufacturing Type A School Buses, Multi-Function School Activity Buses (MFSAB), childcare buses and electric/alternative fuel buses has delivered an all-electric Type A school bus to Peak to Peak Charter School, which operates Colorado’s first all-electric school bus fleet.
The K-12 charter public school, located in Lafayette, Colorado, chose Collins to supply the first all-electric Type A school bus in its fleet. The bus features Collins’ Flat-Floor design for wheelchair accessibility. In addition to the all-electric Type A school bus, Peak to Peak operates a fleet of Type C electric school buses.
“We are thrilled at Peak to Peak to have the first all-electric school bus fleet in Colorado,” said Sam Todd, Executive Director of Operations, Peak to Peak Charter School. “By going with electric buses, we are reducing our carbon footprint and decreasing the number of cars on our campus dramatically by providing morning pickup service that we were not able to do in the past.”
Peak to Peak, part of the Boulder Valley School district, worked with Highland Electric Fleets on the conversion of its fleet to electric. Highland provides electrification, financing options and infrastructure to school districts moving to all-electric fleets. Lightning eMotorsTM, which collaborated with Collins on the development of its all-electric Type A school bus, is managing the charging stations for the schoo
“The zero-emission, all-electric Type A school bus from Collins is not only a healthier choice for the environment, students and communities, it is highly efficient, helping school districts reduce costs,” explained Matt Pinkham, OEM Account Manager, Lightning eMotors. “Electrification is here to stay, and we are proud to be part of it with Collins.”
The highly efficient Collins all-electric Type A school bus is engineered with smart, commercially proven lithium-ion batteries with 125 kWh total capacity and tested over millions of real-world miles. Equipped to reduce operating and maintenance costs by up to 85%, these buses have a range of 120 miles. They are recharged with Level 2 13.2 kW AC charging or optional Level 3 CCS1 80 kW DC charging.
“It’s exciting to be part of one of the first school districts in the country to transition their bus fleet to all-electric,” said Ed Kendzierski, West Region Manager, Collins Bus. “Peak to Peak is a trailblazer, much like Collins, leading the way in electrification and providing cleaner, more efficient transportation for students.”
Colorado Governor Jared Polis spoke at the official launch event recognizing the state’s first all-electric school bus fleet. In addition to $64 million allocated for electric school buses in the state, funding from the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides grants for EV buses and infrastructure upgrades.