New Mexico launches school bus electrification pilot project with GreenPower Motor
Under the two-year pilot project, GreenPower will deploy three GreenPower Type A all-electric Nano BEAST Access school buses in the first school year, starting this year in September. Another three GreenPower Type D all-electric BEAST and Mega BEAST school buses will then be added in the second school year, which goes from 2026 to 2027. The contract for the pilot project will provide over $5 million for the purchase of vehicles, charging infrastructure and overall management costs.
According to the initiators, the school buses will rotate around the state in five pilot rounds each school year, with each round lasting six weeks. In addition to providing the buses, GreenPower will install charging systems, provide training for the drivers, mechanics and the community’s first responders. The charging infrastructure will include Level 3 DC fast chargers, a well as Level 2 AC charging stations for the Nano BEAST school buses. The Level 3 charging stations will not be added until the second year, however. Furthermore, V2G capacities will also be evaluated starting in the second year.
“The New Mexico pilot project provides an opportunity to expand the reach of GreenPower’s zero-emission school bus product and gives parents, kids and school districts in the state the opportunity to evaluate the transition to all-electric, purpose-built school buses,” said GreenPower President Brendan Riley. “The project is leveraging the successful pilot that GreenPower conducted in West Virginia, but also has a concentration on evaluating charging options and infrastructure.”
Mark Roper, Director of the Economic Development Division within the New Mexico Economic Development Department, added: “We are particularly interested in evaluating charging as a part of the pilot project. Range, charging rates and grid resiliency are critical components of switching to all-electric, zero-emission vehicles.”
0 Comments