Proterra, Thomas Built Buses Debut E-School Bus

Proterra and Thomas Built Buses have unveiled a new electric school bus, equipped with a Proterra battery system, at the 44^th Annual National Association of Pupil Transportation (NAPT) Conference. The Saf-T-Liner eC2 electric school bus powered by Proterra represents Proterra’s entrance into the school bus market.

“This collaboration with Proterra supports our mission to deliver sustainable solutions to schools,” said Caley Edgerly, Thomas Built Buses CEO. “We are excited to integrate Proterra’s proven electric vehicle technology into our buses, to provide safe, clean and quiet transportation for children across the country.”

The eC2 bus is being co-developed with Thomas Built Buses in Proterra’s Greenville, S.C. manufacturing facility.

Thomas Built Buses is a subsidiary of Daimler Trucks North America. In September, Proterra announced a collaboration with Daimler to explore opportunities to incorporate Proterra’s electric vehicle technology into Daimler’s commercial vehicle platforms. The Saf-T-Liner eC2 bus powered by Proterra is the first of these vehicles to be unveiled.

The eC2 bus powered by Proterra can be charged with industry-standard J1772 CCS plug-in charging technology, including the Proterra 60 kW charging system, in about three hours, said the company.

“School buses provide critical community infrastructure and are an excellent application for vehicle electrification,” said Ryan Popple, Proterra CEO. “We’re pleased to work with an industry leader like Thomas Built Buses to unveil a high-performance electric school bus that reduces our children’s exposure to diesel emissions.”