Mr. Brendan Riley reports
GREENPOWER ANNOUNCES FIRST DELIVERIES TO WEST VIRGINIA UNDER EPA CLEAN SCHOOL BUS PROGRAM GRANT
Greenpower Motor Company Inc.
has delivered the first four Type D all-electric, purpose-built, zero-emission Beast school buses to its West Virginia dealer for the Kanawha County School District under round 2 funding of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Clean School Bus Program (CSBP).
Round 2 of the CSBP, which was funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), included an award of $18,565,000 for seven West Virginia school districts to deploy 50 Greenpower all-electric, purpose-built, zero-emission school buses manufactured by American workers in South Charleston. The contract for the award from EPA was signed by Greenpower of West Virginia, the state's dealer for Greenpower Motor Company, in December, 2024.
"We are pleased to have manufactured these first four Beast school buses for the Clean School Bus Program grant in West Virginia and delivered them within 90 days of the contract being signed with the EPA," said Greenpower president Brendan Riley. "As stewards of public dollars that are being invested by the federal government in the transition to all-electric school buses, Greenpower and other American school bus manufacturers take our role serious to ensure timely delivery of safe, sustainable and sensible school buses manufactured in the U.S. to school districts who are depending on them to provide a safe, healthy means of transportation for 25 million kids per day."
Delivery of the West Virginia-manufactured school buses under the EPA grant was paused for a few weeks as part of the freeze on spending implemented by the Trump administration as the new EPA team evaluated program spending. "As a result of the co-operative work done by West Virginia Senator Shelley Moore Capito with EPA administrator Lee Zeldin, our dealer was able to receive the round 2 grant funding for the school buses, and we were able to make these first deliveries almost immediately," Mr. Riley continued. "Personally, I am pleased that Greenpower was able to work closely with the Senator to ensure the release of the grant funds, allowing us to build the school buses with an American work force with appropriate oversight by the Trump administration."
Senator Capito, who serves as chair of the Senate environment and public works committee, has discussed the need for administrative changes to the implementation of the balance of the CSBP with Greenpower and others in the school bus industry. Those changes include awarding of funds through a competitive system like the round 2 West Virginia grant instead of a random luck-of-the-draw lottery system. "The round 2 West Virginia grant represents the intent Congress had when it created the CSBP. It is a well-thought-out approach that involved multiple school districts and school boards, the school bus [original equipment manufacturer], infrastructure providers, utilities, parents, and others in the planning," Mr. Riley continued. "When this type of approach is followed, and awards are based on merits and quantifiable results, the most effective use of taxpayer dollars is achieved."
Over the next few weeks, additional Greenpower all-electric, purpose-built, zero-emission school buses will be delivered under the round 2 grant, proceeding toward full deployment of the 50 Beast and Type A all-electric Nano Beast school buses awarded to the schools. Grant County Public Schools, which is currently building out its charging infrastructure under the round 2 grant with Highland Electric Fleets, will be the next district to receive its buses.
As the leading purpose-built American manufacturer of EV (electric vehicle) school buses, Greenpower is the only all-electric OEM that manufactures both a Class 4 Type A school bus and a Class 8 Type D school bus. The 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 as an EV, it is a fully integrated structure that features a strong and corrosion-resistant aluminum body made from extruded aluminum, manufactured by Constellium, seamlessly mated to a high-strength steel Truss (bus) chassis. The complete flat floor design allows for adjustable track seating with no wheel wells in the passenger compartment, and the high floor keeps students out of the impact zone. Combined port charging is standard with level 2 rates up to 19.2 kilowatts and DC (direct-current) fast-charging rates up to 85 kW, allowing for full charging in less than three hours.
The School Transportation News award-winning Nano Beast has a standard 118-kilowatt-hour 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 Nano Beast is built on the EV Star cab and chassis, which is the same platform as the EV Star passenger van that passed the FTA Altoona bus testing program with one of the highest scores ever achieved. The dual-port charging is standard, with level 2 rates up to 19.2 kW and DC fast-charging rates up to 60 kW.
About Greenpower Motor Company Inc.
Greenpower designs, builds and distributes a full suite of high-floor and low-floor all-electric medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, including transit buses, school buses, shuttles, cargo vans, and a cab and chassis. Greenpower employs a clean-sheet design to manufacture all-electric vehicles that are purpose built to be battery powered with zero emissions while integrating global suppliers for key components. This OEM platform allows Greenpower to meet the specifications of various operators while providing standard parts for ease of maintenance and accessibility for warranty requirements. Greenpower was founded in Vancouver, Canada, with primary operational facilities in southern California. Listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange since November, 2015, Greenpower completed its U.S. initial public offering and Nasdaq listing in August, 2020.
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