Blue Bird Corporation (Nasdaq: BLBD), a frontrunner in electric and low-emission school buses, has proudly delivered its 2,000th electric, zero-emission school bus, setting a new industry milestone. The landmark vehicle was received by Clark County School District (CCSD) in Nevada, marking a significant step in the district’s transition to cleaner student transportation. As the fifth largest school district in the nation, CCSD operates 373 schools, serves over 300,000 students, and maintains a bus fleet of more than 1,900 vehicles, transporting over 123,000 students daily across more than 1,400 routes.
The milestone bus is Blue Bird’s most advanced All-American electric model, equipped with the company’s new extended-range battery. This zero-emission bus, which accommodates 84 students, requires between three and eight hours to fully charge depending on the infrastructure available.
CCSD received a $9.875 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean School Bus Program to acquire electric school buses, including this milestone unit. This initiative is part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), which allocates $5 billion over five years to promote clean school bus transportation across the country.
“Today, we celebrate the delivery of our 2,000th electric school bus in North America, a significant achievement we are thrilled to share with Clark County School District,” said Britton Smith, President of Blue Bird Corporation. “Blue Bird remains the leader in clean student transportation, and the adoption of electric school buses contributes to cleaner air for students, drivers, and the community. We commend the EPA’s Clean School Bus Program for accelerating the shift to zero-emission student transportation and supporting technological advancements.”
With this milestone unit, Blue Bird now has over 2,000 electric school buses serving districts across 41 U.S. states and 4 Canadian provinces. Replacing 2,000 diesel buses with electric ones will cut harmful carbon emissions by more than 21,000 metric tons annually and protect nearly 150,000 students daily from diesel exhaust, which is linked to health issues such as asthma and heart disease.
Blue Bird’s electric school buses have already accumulated over five million miles, equivalent to driving Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles more than 2,000 times.
The company is expanding its electric school bus production in Fort Valley, Georgia, with the recent opening of a 40,000 square foot Electric Vehicle (EV) Build-up Center. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded Blue Bird an $80 million grant to convert a former diesel motorhome manufacturing site into a state-of-the-art electric vehicle facility, enhancing production capacity to over 5,000 electric school buses annually.
Blue Bird’s electric school buses are powered by the PowerDrive™ 7000 system from Accelera™ by Cummins, reflecting a successful long-term collaboration on technology innovation. This partnership has been key to delivering sustainable and eco-friendly transportation solutions to school districts nationwide.
Clark County School District procured its advanced electric bus through Blue Bird’s authorized dealer, Bryson Sales & Service Inc., a family-owned business based in Utah since 1969.
About Blue Bird Corporation
Founded in 1927, Blue Bird (NASDAQ: BLBD) is a recognized leader in school bus technology and innovation. The company designs, engineers, and manufactures school buses with a focus on safety, reliability, and durability. Blue Bird’s buses transport 25 million children twice daily, making them the most trusted mode of student transportation. With over 20,000 propane, natural gas, and electric-powered buses in operation, Blue Bird is at the forefront of transforming the student transportation industry with cleaner energy solutions. For more information, visit www.blue-bird.com.
