The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) has contracted Blue Bird to deliver its largest-ever order of electric school buses, purchasing 180 zero-emission vehicles.
The order was placed through its local Blue Bird dealer, A-Z Bus Sales, Inc. to help the school district transition the first of several depots to electric transportation.
It is expected that this purchase will advance LAUSD’s goal of reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions while also improving operational efficiencies.
Los Angeles Unified Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho said:Los Angeles Unified is excited to move toward the electrification of our Sun Valley Bus Yard school buses. We must fully commit ourselves to creating a model of sustainability that benefits our students, our school communities and generations to come.
Specifically, LAUSD has ordered 150 All American and 30 Vision model electric buses, with deliveries scheduled from October 2024.
Both models have a range of up to 130 miles on a single charge. Based on LAUSD’s future charging infrastructure, each bus will then take between three and eight hours to fully recharge.
Blue Bird electric buses also come with vehicle-to-grid (V2G) capability. This bi-directional charging technology could allow LAUSD to sell excess energy stored in the bus batteries back to electric power companies for a profit.
Phil Horlock, CEO of Blue Bird Corporation said:Blue Bird is recognized as the technology leader and innovator of all-electric school buses. We are thrilled to provide safe, reliable, and – above all – clean student transportation to the Los Angeles Unified School District, the second largest in the nation. Demand for low- and zero-emission school buses remains strong across the United States. Blue Bird will continue to meet and exceed our customer expectations.
The new buses will join 26 Blue Bird electric school buses that already operate within LAUSD’s fleet.
