GreenPower Motor Company says it has received three orders for 11 of its D-type BEAST electric school buses from western school districts in Arizona, California, and Oregon.
GreenPower hasn't made the kind of headline-grabbing promises or big-money commitments that companies like Nikola and Lion Electric have, but while those companies are moving GPM seems connected, taking orders when it can and delivering buses to schools. . Late last year, the company received 11 more orders for the BEAST electric school bus.
As for these latest orders, the breakdown is:
- seven to Los Banos Unified School District in Los Banos, California
- two for the Hood River County School District in Hood River, Oregon
- two of the Casa Grande Elementary School District in Casa Grande, Arizona
Those two BEAST electric school buses in Arizona will join another 90-passenger BEAST delivered to Phoenix Elementary School District #1, which serves 15 schools in central Phoenix, late last year.
“As school districts continue to make the transition from NOx emitting diesel school buses to cleaner, healthier ways to transport students, school transportation departments are pursuing the industry's gold standard – GreenPower all-electric, purpose-built (BEAST) school buses,” said Paul Start. , GreenPower's Vice President of Sales, School Bus Group. “(I) GreenPower's school bus order pipeline and production schedule are both at record levels and sales estimates for (2025) will eclipse calendar year 2024.”
GreenPower moved into an 80,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in South Charleston, West Virginia in August 2022, and launched its first buses that he says next year.
Electrek's Take
Since the first horseless carriage companies began operating over 100 years ago (give or take), at least 1,900 different companies have been established in the US, producing more than 3,000 types of American vehicles. By the mid-1980s, that had dropped to the “big 3.”
All that means: don't let the latest bankruptcy round fool you – Startups in the car and truck industry are business as usual, but some of these companies will stick around. If you are wondering which ones, look to those who make units, not promises.
SOURCE | PHOTOS: Green Power Motors.
FTC: We use auto affiliate links to earn income. More.