In Michigan, Ann Arbor and Roseville public schools have selected the Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley electric school bus powered by Proterra electric vehicle technology (earlier post) and the Proterra 60kW charging system for a five-year pilot program, in partnership with DTE Energy and Hoekstra Transportation.

The pilot program, supported by VW settlement funds, will include pupil transportation and a vehicle-to-grid study. Michigan is the first state in the US to dedicate the entirety of its first round of VW settlement funding to support transitioning their schools’ bus fleets to clean, quiet all-electric school buses.

DTE Energy evaluated several electric vehicle technologies and selected the Proterra Powered electric school bus and Proterra charging system. Proterra is a leader in the electric transit bus market, and Proterra Catalyst buses have driven more than 9 million service miles, powered by the same battery system and drivetrain technology that is featured in the Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley electric school buses.

DTE Energy, in partnership with the schools, will conduct a vehicle-to-grid study to allow the utility to better understand how electric school buses can support energy storage needs in addition to scheduled pupil transportation.

Proterra is the only company in the school bus industry that has in-house engineering expertise for the design and manufacture of both battery technology and chargers. The utility-preferred Proterra 60kW DC fast charger is optimized for bi-directional power flow, with inverters integrated into the charger rather than on the bus.

Ann Arbor Public Schools will receive four buses and Roseville Community Schools will receive two buses along with Proterra chargers for both schools. Ann Arbor and Roseville will share their findings on pupil transportation with the electric school buses with the Michigan Association of Pupil Transportation.

Both schools plan to use the buses as learning laboratories for real-world applications of new innovations, such as the zero-emission electric technologies the buses employ, as part of their focus on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM).

Proterra and Thomas Built Buses offer schools the only comprehensive, interoperable, turn-key electric vehicle program that includes electric school buses, charging infrastructure and energy delivery solutions.

The Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley couples 220 kWh of total energy capacity, the highest battery capacity in the industry, with the Proterra drivetrain to offer energy efficiency and range to meet the needs of school bus fleets. Additionally, the Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley electric school bus can fast charge in about three hours with the Proterra DC charging system.

The Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley powered by Proterra electric vehicle technology is the first electric school bus from Thomas Built Buses. Recently, the Jouley electric school bus received certification of eligibility for funding from the California Energy Commission (CEC). The Jouley also received full California Air Resources Board (CARB) and Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP) certifications.