Indiana’s Monroe County school district receives milestone Proterra Powered battery-electric Jouley in continued commitment to a cleaner future
HIGH POINT, N.C. – Thomas Built Buses (TBB), a leading manufacturer of school buses in North America, just announced the delivery of TBB’s 200th Proterra Powered Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley battery-electric school bus to Monroe County Public Schools in Indiana.
Monroe became the first county in the state to receive an electric school bus in fall 2020. Since then, the district has continued to grow its zero-emission fleet, ordering an additional two buses in 2021 and 10 buses in 2022.
“Our district is delighted to have received the 200th Jouley from TBB as we continue to lead electrification efforts for our students, staff and the larger Bloomington community,” said Dr. Jeff Hauswald, superintendent for Monroe County Community School Corporation (MCCSC). “Beyond the long-term cost savings benefits, converting our fleet also helps us meet safety and sustainability goals set forth by school administration, reducing CO2 emissions by 27 tons and saving 1,080 gallons of diesel per bus in our fleet. With every additional bus we convert, we’re only adding to those numbers.”
This will be the sixth delivery of 13 electric school buses ordered by the district from Kerlin Bus Sales, a full-service TBB dealer in Indiana. MCCSC has committed to electrify all (approximately 85) primary bus routes by 2028, exclusively with Jouley electric buses from TBB. The district has been applauded for its strong electrification efforts, including recognition of the ‘Electric School Bus Fleet Award’ by Drive Clean Indiana.
TBB’s Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley electric school bus 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 is equipped with 226 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of total energy capacity in a Proterra Powered battery system, a two-speed transmission and an estimated operating range of up to 138 miles. Thomas Built Buses is currently the only school bus manufacturer to offer DC (direct current) fast charging architecture as standard equipment. Jouley can charge in approximately three hours and can supply power back to the power grid using vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology.
“We are thrilled to pave the way for a cleaner future for the children in Indiana and across the country,” said Kevin Bangston, president and CEO of TBB. “We believe electric school buses to be the future of pupil transportation and with quieter operation, lower operating costs and zero emissions, MCCSC will continue to reap the cost and societal benefits of school bus fleet conversion. This milestone delivery is an important marker for Thomas Built Buses on our mission to provide school districts with the tools and technology needed to transition to cleaner futures for our students and communities.”
“Schools across America are driving towards a clean transportation future. Proterra congratulates Monroe County schools for their leadership in the growing movement of school districts that are embracing zero-emission, all-electric school buses. Now, with 200 Proterra Powered electric school buses on the road, we look forward to helping clean the air for more schoolkids and communities throughout the country,” said Chris Bailey, President of Proterra Powered & Energy.
TBB and Proterra offer school bus operators a comprehensive, turn-key electric vehicle program that includes EV planning and funding consultation, electric school buses, charging systems, and charging infrastructure design and installation.
“Kerlin Bus Sales is on a mission to make Indiana a pioneer for electric school bus operation and fleet management in the U.S.,” said Melanie Zehr, vice president of Kerlin Bus Sales. “MCCSC is a leading example of the many benefits beyond zero emissions that make the transition to electric worthwhile, including greater fuel cost savings as well as lower maintenance and operating costs.“
Daimler Truck North America (DTNA), TBB is a subsidiary of DTNA, is fully committed to leading the way to carbon-neutral [tank to wheel] transportation in the U.S. by reaching their 2039 goal to offer only new vehicles that are carbon-neutral in driving operation. The school bus industry is the ideal application based on the use case to introduce battery electric vehicles to the market. Already in 2018, TBB and Proterra unveiled the high-performance Jouley electric school bus. Now, the 200th nationwide deployment of battery-electric school buses represents a big milestone as cities, towns, and school districts continue to transition to all-electric school bus fleets.
