This deployment represents the initial large scale utilization of US Department of Energy grants for clean school buses. Both Navistar, who claims 61% of the school bus market in North America, and Enova, say that this initial deployment is an important next step in the evolution of the hybrid school bus program towards long term production volume.

n 2005, we collaborated on the industry’s first production plug-in hybrid vehicle, and we’ve refined the technology since. The deployment of these initial systems is an affirmation of Navistar’s commitment to the hybrid school bus market. Enova supports this commitment by engineering a post-transmission hybrid drive system that integrates easily and non-invasively.

—Enova COO John Mullins

Several states and school districts have expressed interest in expanding their hybrid school bus fleets, Enova said. This interest should continue to grow as more tax credits and incentives become available to ease the transition to hybrid school buses.