Alternative-fuel school buses
The Alternative Fuels Data Center lists 17 alternative-fuel school buses from 7 manufacturers. Blue Bird offers the most (6), followed by GreenPower Motor Company (3). Stated electric range runs from 185 to 483 km (median 241 km); the longest is the GreenPower Motor Company Mega BEAST. Battery capacity ranges from 118 to 387 kWh. Passenger capacity ranges from 20 to 90. The most used engine or drive system is the Ford 7.3L V8, fitted to 3 models.
Models17
Manufacturers7
Electric range185–483 kmmedian 241 km
Battery118–387 kWh
Passengers20–90
Longest stated range
All models
| Model | Fuel | Range | Battery | Passengers | Weight class | Transmission | Engine / drive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GreenPower Motor Company Mega BEAST | Electric | 483 km | 387 kWh | 90 | — | Automatic | Dana TM4 PMSM 350 kW |
| Blue Bird Micro Bird G5e | Electric | 322 km | 140–175 kWh | 30 | — | — | Dana TM4 250 kW |
| IC Bus Electric CE Series | Electric | 322 km | 210–315 kWh | 78 | — | Automatic | International 255 kW, 650 V, 6-phase permanent magnet |
| RIDE Creator Type C | Electric | 274 km | 282 kWh | 77 | — | Automatic | RIDE AC Synchronous Motor 260 kW |
| RIDE Dreamer Type D | Electric | 249 km | 255 kWh | 81 | — | Automatic | RIDE Asynchronous Motor 3-Phase 150 kW (x2) |
| Blue Bird All American RE Electric | Electric | 241 km | — | 84 | — | Automatic | Cummins PowerDrive 7000 EV |
| Blue Bird Vision Electric | Electric | 241 km | 155 kWh | 77 | — | Automatic | Cummins PowerDrive 7000 EV |
| Envirotech Bumble Bee | Electric | 241 km | 193 kWh | 90 | — | Automatic | — |
| GreenPower Motor Company BEAST | Electric | 241 km | 194 kWh | 90 | — | Automatic | Dana TM4 PMSM 350 kW |
| Thomas Built Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley Gen 2 | Electric | 241 km | 246 kWh | 81 | — | Automatic | Cummins Accelera 14Xe eAxle |
| Thomas Built Wattson | Electric | 241 km | 246 kWh | 90 | — | Automatic | Cummins Accelera 14Xe eAxle |
| GreenPower Motor Company Nano BEAST/Access | Electric | 225 km | 118 kWh | 24 | — | Automatic | Dana TM4 PMSM 150 kW |
| RIDE Achiever Type A | Electric | 193 km | 156 kWh | 30 | — | Automatic | RIDE AC Synchronous Motor 200 kW |
| Workhorse Epic 4 School Bus | Electric | 185 km | 127 kWh | 20 | — | Automatic | Motiv Power Systems Epic 4 |
| Blue Bird Micro Bird G5 | Propane | — | — | 36 | Class 3 | — | Ford 7.3L V8 |
| Blue Bird Micro Bird MB-II | Propane | — | — | 20 | — | — | Ford 7.3L V8 |
| Blue Bird Vision | Propane | — | — | 83 | Class 7 | Automatic · Ford 6R140 | Ford 7.3L V8 |
Engines and drive systems used
How many models in this list use each engine or electric drive.
| Ford 7.3L V8 | 3 models |
|---|---|
| Cummins PowerDrive 7000 EV | 2 models |
| Dana TM4 PMSM 350 kW | 2 models |
| Cummins Accelera 14Xe eAxle | 2 models |
Manufacturers
Blue Bird6GreenPower Motor Company3RIDE3Thomas Built2IC Bus1Envirotech1Workhorse1
Fuel mix
Electric14Propane3
Related
Alternative-fuel vocational trucks and cab chassis69Electric vocational trucks and cab chassis35Alternative-fuel transit buses37Electric transit buses24Natural gas transit buses8Electric school buses14Alternative-fuel refuse trucks19Alternative-fuel tractor units34Electric tractor units23Alternative-fuel passenger vans and shuttle buses22Electric passenger vans and shuttle buses14Alternative-fuel vans12Alternative-fuel street sweepers19Natural gas heavy-duty vehicles65Electric heavy-duty vehicles138Propane heavy-duty vehicles22
Source
Alternative Fuels Data Center (National Laboratory of the Rockies, US Department of Energy), compiled from manufacturer specifications and updated twice a year. Ranges are manufacturer-stated. Confirm details with the manufacturer or dealer before purchase.
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