Thomas Built Buses (TBB) was recently selected as the provider of electric school buses by Dominion Energy.
Under the first phase of the electric school bus replacement program in Virginia, Dominion Energy has ordered 50 Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley, which is the largest single deployment in the country.
The TBB school buses are produced in partnership with Proterra, which supplies the EV tech. When equipped with a 220 kWh battery, Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley can go up to 134 miles (216 km) on a single charge.
“TBB’s all-electric Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley is equipped with the same vehicle quality, durability, performance, safety and comfort as the popular Saf-T-Liner C2. Jouley is powered by Proterra electric vehicle technology and configured with 220 kWh of total energy capacity, a two-speed transmission and a TBB-estimated operating range of up to 134 miles. TBB is the only school bus manufacturer to offer DC fast charging architecture as standard equipment. Jouley can charge in about three hours with the Proterra 60kW DC fast charging system and can supply power back to the power grid using vehicle to grid (V2G) technology.”
Dominion Energy is expected to make use of the DC fast charging option (60 kW), combined with the bi-directional V2G technology, that would allow reducing peak electricity demand.
The second phase of bus electrification in Virginia will be an additional 1,005 buses between 2021 and 2025, which once again would be one of the biggest projects in the U.S.
Caley Edgerly, president and CEO of Thomas Built Buses said:
“We are thrilled to lead the way in this groundbreaking initiative that is paving the way for a cleaner future and setting the bar for future electric vehicle conversions across the country. We believe electric school buses to be the future of pupil transportation. They offer quieter operation, lower operating costs and zero emissions to the benefit of students, parents, school districts and local communities.”
Floyd Merryman, president and CEO of Sonny Merryman said:
“As Virginia’s exclusive Thomas Built Buses dealer, Sonny Merryman is thrilled with the opportunity to partner with Dominion Energy. Our team has always prided ourselves as innovation leaders in pupil transportation. This particular initiative is especially exciting not just for us but also for Virginia’s students and our many loyal partners across the Commonwealth’s public education community. Electric vehicles are the wave of the future, and we anxiously look forward to bringing this transformative project to a successful reality.”
Proterra CEO Ryan Popple said:
“Electric school buses remain one of the best applications for electric vehicle technology. The all-electric Jouley incorporates Proterra’s highest standards of battery safety and validation along with industry-leading onboard energy storage for electric school bus fleets.”
