The cover story this month features Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools superintendent Crystal Hill as she discusses what it takes to drive an entire district towards success. Read more about the new GM and VP of IC Bus as well as articles on technological upgrades, AI & predictive technology, benefits of using a third-party contractor plus more on the unclear future of electric school buses and clean energy funding.

Read the full April 2025 issue.

Cover Story

Breaking Barriers & Navigating Uncharted Territory
Crystal Hill, the superintendent of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools in North Carolina, shares how she started her career in education, her perspective on the importance of student transportation, and the potential impacts of cuts in federal funding.

Features

Seeing Into The Future
AI and predictive technology hold many promises for student transportation professionals, especially those in charge of servicing school buses and ensuring optimum uptime.

The Steps To A Technology Upgrade
Upgrading technology comes with many questions such as staying with the same provider and looking at expanded features. Directors weigh in on the items and processes they value most.

Who, What, When, Where and Why?
While contracting operations isn’t for every school district, those that use third-party services discover the benefits of technology and safety equipment adoption, cost savings and vehicle variety.

Special Reports

Passing the Torch
Charles Chilton has big shoes to fill as the new GM and VP of IC Bus. But his experience as a school bus driver and engineer are proof he is more than up to the task.

Clean School Bus Program
School districts are left wading in the deep end of regulatory and funding uncertainty, especially when it comes to purchasing new electric school buses under the EPA’s Clean School Bus program.

Feedback
Online
Ad Index

Editor’s Take by Ryan Gray
Moving Target

Publisher’s Corner by Tony Corpin
Building an Elite School Transportation Team

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SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va.,- GreenPower Motor Company Inc. (NASDAQ: GP) (TSXV: GPV) (“GreenPower”), a leading manufacturer and distributor of purpose-built, all-electric, zero-emission medium and heavy-duty vehicles serving the cargo and delivery market, shuttle and transit space and school bus sector, today announced that the first four Type D all-electric, purpose-built, zero-emission BEAST school buses have been delivered to its West Virginia dealer for the Kanawha County School District under Round 2 funding of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean School Bus Program (CSBP).

Round 2 of the CSBP, which was funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), included an award of $18.565 million for seven West Virginia school districts to deploy 50 GreenPower all-electric, purpose-built, zero-emission school buses manufactured by American workers in South Charleston. The contract for the award from EPA was signed by GreenPower of West Virginia, the state’s dealer for GreenPower Motor Company, in December 2024.

“We are pleased to have manufactured these first four BEAST school buses for the Clean School Bus Program grant in West Virginia and delivered them within 90 days of the contract being signed with the EPA,” said GreenPower President Brendan Riley. “As stewards of public dollars that are being invested by the federal government in the transition to all-electric school buses, GreenPower and other American school bus manufacturers take our role serious to ensure timely delivery of safe, sustainable and sensible school buses manufactured in the U.S. to school districts who are depending on them to provide a safe, healthy means of transportation for 25 million kids per day.”

Delivery of the West Virginia-manufactured school buses under the EPA grant was paused for a few weeks as part of the freeze on spending implemented by the Trump Administration as the new EPA team evaluated program spending. “As a result of the cooperative work done by West Virginia Senator Shelley Moore Capito with EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, our dealer was able to receive the Round 2 grant funding for the school buses and we were able to make these first deliveries almost immediately,” Riley continued. “Personally, I am pleased that GreenPower was able to work closely with the Senator to ensure the release of the grant funds, allowing us to build the school buses with an American workforce with appropriate oversight by the Trump Administration.”

Senator Capito, who serves as Chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, has discussed the need for administrative changes to the implementation of the balance of the CSBP with GreenPower and others in the school bus industry. Those changes include awarding of funds through a competitive system like the Round 2 West Virginia grant instead of a random luck-of-the-draw lottery system. “The Round 2 West Virginia grant represents the intent Congress had when it created the CSBP. It is a well thought out approach that involved multiple school districts and school boards, the school bus OEM, infrastructure providers, utilities, parents and others in the planning,” Riley continued. “When this type of approach is followed, and awards are based on merits and quantifiable results, the most effective use of taxpayer dollars is achieved.”

Over the next few weeks additional GreenPower all-electric, purpose-built, zero-emission school buses will be delivered under the Round 2 grant, proceeding toward full deployment of the 50 BEAST and Type A all-electric Nano BEAST school buses awarded to the schools. Grant County Public Schools, who are currently building out their charging infrastructure under the Round 2 grant with Highland Electric Fleets, will be the next district to receive their buses.

As the leading purpose-built American manufacturer of EV school buses, GreenPower is the only all-electric OEM that manufactures both a Class 4 Type A school bus and a Class 8 Type D school bus. The BEAST is a purpose-built 40-foot Type D all-electric, zero-emission school bus with seating for up to 90 students. Designed from the ground up as an EV, it is a fully integrated structure that features a strong and corrosion resistant aluminum body made from extruded aluminum, manufactured by Constellium, seamlessly mated to a high strength steel Truss (bus) chassis. The complete flat floor design allows for adjustable track seating with no wheel wells in the passenger compartment, and the high floor keeps students out of the impact zone. Combined port charging is standard with Level 2 rates up to 19.2 kW and DC Fast Charging rates up to 85 kW, allowing for full charging in less than three hours.

The School Transportation News award-winning Nano BEAST has a standard 118 kWh battery pack and a range of up to 140 miles. Configured for up to 24 passengers, it features a seamlessly integrated aluminum body made from extruded aluminum manufactured by Constellium. The Nano BEAST is built on the EV Star Cab & Chassis which is the same platform as the EV Star Passenger Van that passed the FTA Altoona Bus Testing program with one of the highest scores ever achieved. The dual port charging is standard, with Level 2 rates up to 19.2 kW and DC Fast Charging rates up to 60 kW.

About GreenPower Motor Company, Inc.
GreenPower designs, builds and distributes a full suite of high-floor and low-floor all-electric medium and heavy-duty vehicles, including transit buses, school buses, shuttles, cargo vans and a cab and chassis. GreenPower employs a clean-sheet design to manufacture all-electric vehicles that are purpose-built to be battery powered with zero emissions while integrating global suppliers for key components. This OEM platform allows GreenPower to meet the specifications of various operators while providing standard parts for ease of maintenance and accessibility for warranty requirements. GreenPower was founded in Vancouver, Canada with primary operational facilities in southern California. Listed on the Toronto exchange since November 2015, GreenPower completed its U.S. IPO and NASDAQ listing in August 2020. For further information go to www.greenpowermotor.com.

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SACRAMENTO, Calif. – With the latest announcement of $33 million in awards, California’s Clean Mobility Options Voucher Program (CMO) has invested more than $66 million in under-resourced communities and tribes to address mobility gaps and reduce air pollution.

The CMO program addresses two major problems in California: air pollution and the lack of clean transportation options for low-income or disadvantaged communities. Projects funded by the program must directly benefit residents of a low-income community or a disadvantaged community.

“For many awardees, this will be a first-of-its-kind mobility project to be funded and launched in their community,” said California Air Resources Board Executive Officer Dr. Steven Cliff. “Clean Mobility Options was designed around the belief that these communities should receive the highest sustained investments toward safe, efficient, affordable, reliable, and clean transportation options that connect them to the places they need to thrive.”

Tackling transportation emissions is important to achieving California’s air quality targets, especially for low-income Californians that disproportionately live on the frontlines of sources of pollution. The funds tackle emissions reductions while also increasing access to cleaner transportation options for underserved communities.

“California is taking a holistic approach to helping communities access equitable, accessible clean transportation options,” said Hannon Rasool, director of the California Energy Commission’s Fuels and Transportation Division. “Community-based transportation equity projects like CMO are meeting community transportation needs as seen and interpreted by those who live there.”

The Mobility Project Voucher provides communities the funding and project support needed to launch a clean, shared mobility project to address their unique transportation challenges. Supported modes of transportation include:

On-demand shuttles, vans, and buses
Traditional fixed route transit services – like school buses
Bikesharing and scooter-sharing
Carpooling and vanpooling
Electric carsharing
On-demand rideshare services – similar to those provided by Uber or Lyft

Latest Awards:
In this latest funding round, the CMO program announced $33 million in new funds for California nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments:

$12.5 million for new, general funding recipients
$3 million for eligible tribal governments
$7.5 million for first-round Community Transportation Needs Assessment (CTNA) awardees
$10 million set aside for first-round Mobility Project Vouchers

To learn more about the funded projects, visit the 2023 Mobility Project Voucher Awardees and Applicants.

The response to the second voucher application round shows a strong demand and need for this funding. While only 17 new communities received funds this round, 85 applicants requested as much as $1.5 million each.

CARB also recently announced awards of over $42 million to Clean Mobility in Schools (CMIS) and the Sustainable Transportation Equity Project (STEP) to support community-led projects in disadvantaged and low-income communities in California. See the full press release. CMO, CMIS, and STEP are part of CARB’s Sustainable Community-Based Transportation Equity Projects.

About California Climate Investments
CMO is funded by California Climate Investments, a statewide initiative that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment—particularly in underserved communities.

About Clean Mobility Options:
CMO is designed to fill transportation gaps in under-resourced regions and cut climate and air pollution. The program provides the funding, resources and support to local communities so they can lead in developing their unique mobility solutions that are cleaner, more affordable, and more accessible than what’s currently available.

In addition to providing Mobility Project Voucher funding the program also offers community transportation needs assessment vouchers for communities to analyze their transportation system and to identify the specific needs of residents. The program also features extensive technical support starting from the application process and extending through project launch and beyond. Each project is assigned a dedicated technical assistance team member to address challenges, provide guidance, and offer ongoing support.

About CEC’s Clean Transportation Program:
CMO is also funded by California Energy Commission’s (CEC) Clean Transportation Program. CEC’s Clean Transportation Program is investing more than $1 billion to accelerate the deployment of zero-emission transportation infrastructure and support in-state manufacturing and workforce training and development.

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COMPTON, Calif. – Today, the Compton Unified School District (CUSD) and its school transportation provider, Durham School Services (DSS), unveiled the school district’s brand-new fleet of 25 electric school buses and 25 newly-installed Tellus chargers, at a ribbon cutting event. The buses will begin transporting students this spring. At the event, attendees had the opportunity to tour and ride the buses.

Attendees included Lillie P. Darden (Councilwoman – District 4), Hector De La Torre (Executive Director, Gateway Cities Council of Governments), CUSD Superintendent Dr. Darin Brawley, CUSD Chief Administrative Officer Dr. Shannon Soto, CUSD Board Members Sandra Moss, Alma Taylor-Pleasant, and Satra Zurita, as well as key partners Highland Electric Fleets and Thomas Built Buses, Southern California Edison, Durham School Services team members, and fellow community members.

The 25 new electric school buses, which consist of 17 Thomas Built Type A and 8 Thomas Built Type C vehicles, mark the start of the school district’s first electric vehicle (EV) endeavor and was made possible thanks to partnerships and support from Highland Electric Fleets, Thomas Built Buses, and Southern California Edison. Funds for the new vehicles were awarded through the first round of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean School Bus Program. Compton Unified School District was also awarded funds by the EPA for the third round of the program and anticipates introducing an additional 25 EV school buses in the future.

“The Compton Unified School District is excited to roll out these incredible EV buses in partnership with Durham and Highland,” said Compton Unified School District Board of Trustees President Micah Ali. “These new buses not only provide for a more sustainable, healthier Compton community, they also serve as an exemplar of innovation and social responsibility for our Compton Scholars.”

“These new electric buses are an investment in our students’ future—providing safe, clean transportation as they pursue their dreams,” said Dr. Darin Brawley, Superintendent of Compton Unified School District. “Just as we are committed to sustainability, we are also committed to academic excellence, ranking #1 in LA County for graduation rates and #1 in the state among comparably sized districts. Compton Unified will continue leading the way to ensure our scholars have every opportunity to succeed.”

“We are able to celebrate this new EV chapter in Durham and CUSD’s deep-rooted 20+year partnership thanks to the EPA grant, and our mutual ambition in driving this transition early. I can’t stress enough about how vital grants like these are and the need for continued support from our partners in government at the state and federal level to fund additional grants for school districts and their transportation partners that are ready to deliver and operate zero-emission buses,” said Tim Wertner, CEO, Durham School Services. “Lastly, I’d like to give thanks to our local team of drivers, technicians, General Manager Wendy, and countless other team members, whom, without, this project would not have been possible or even half as successful. I look forward to seeing the new heights we’ll reach over the next few years as we continue our partnership with CUSD.”

“Compton Unified School District is making a real difference for its students with the launch of its first electric school buses,” said Brian Buccella, Chief Commercial Officer at Highland Electric Fleets. “These buses bring cleaner, quieter, and healthier transportation to the community, which is especially important in a county where 1 in 11 children have asthma. Highland Electric Fleets is proud to be part of this effort, and we look forward to working alongside the CUSD community to continue making a positive impact for students and families.”

In preparation for the new EV buses beginning service this spring, hands-on training sessions for technicians were held in January of this year. The two-day training sessions were led by Durham School Services maintenance leaders, Thomas Built Buses, Highland Electric Fleets, and Optimal EV and covered topics related to EV safety, charging stations, and operations.

About Compton Unified School District: Compton Unified School District, whose Superintendent is Dr. Darin Brawley, is located in the south-central region of Los Angeles County. CUSD encompasses the city of Compton and portions of the cities of Carson and Los Angeles. The district currently serves more than 17,000 students at 36 sites. CUSD is a district that is elevating, with a high school graduation rate of 93%, dramatic facilities improvements, 88% college acceptance, and a focus on STEAM throughout all schools. The mission of the Compton Unified School District is to empower leaders to lead, teachers to teach, and students to learn by fostering an environment that encourages leaders and teachers to be visionary, innovative, and accountable for the achievement of all students. CUSD schools have received numerous awards, including Golden Bell Awards, National Blue Ribbon School designations, and Top 10 LA Public Schools by Innovate LA. CUSD is also a member of the League of Innovative Schools. The District’s Superintendent, Dr. Darin Brawley, was named 2019 Superintendent of the Year by the Los Angeles County Office of Education. For more information, visit http://www.compton.k12.ca.us.

About Durham School Services: As an industry-leading student transportation provider, Durham School Services is dedicated to the safety of our students and People. For more than 100 years, we have been committed to Excellence and upholding our mission of getting students to school safely, on time, and ready to learn. Through this mission and a grassroots approach to our operations, Durham School Services has earned recognition as a trusted transportation provider among our Customers and the Communities we serve.

About Highland Electric Fleets: Highland Electric Fleets is North America’s leading provider of electrification-as-a-service. Founded in 2019, Highland makes it simple and affordable to transition fleets of all sizes to electric, from school buses to public safety, municipal and commercial vehicles.

Highland led the first use of electric school buses in a commercial vehicle-to-grid (V2G) program and operates the largest electric school bus project in the U.S. With approximately 95% of school buses built in the U.S., the shift to electric drives American innovation, strengthens domestic manufacturing, and creates jobs in communities across the country in addition to reducing emissions and lowering operating costs. Learn more at www.highlandfleets.com.

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OTTAWA, Ohio, – Endera, a rapidly growing technology and manufacturing leader in the electric bus market, announced today that it has secured $49 million in its latest funding round. The round includes a $36M equity investment led by Magnetar, a global multi-strategy alternative asset manager, with participation from Pulse Fund–whose founder, Tenzin Seldon, has joined Endera’s board of directors—and Endera’s longtime strategic partner, Pritchard Auto Company. The total also includes a $13M credit facility. This funding will enable Endera to scale manufacturing of its electric shuttle and school buses, expand its product line and create new American jobs at its world-class production facility in Ohio.

As the only vertically integrated American OEM of class 4 electric shuttles and school buses, Endera has built a reputation for delivering high-quality vehicles coupled with complete technology solutions. By leveraging its successful legacy internal combustion engine (ICE) manufacturing business, the company has transitioned into one of the fastest-growing leaders in the EV space, providing complete systems that address the growing demand for zero-emission specialty vehicles, particularly for the underserved government sector.

“This investment will accelerate our mission to revolutionize the specialty vehicle industry and accelerate the transition to clean mobility,” said Endera CEO and founder John Walsh. “At a time when America needs to prioritize domestic manufacturing and sustainability, Endera is leading by example creating jobs, driving economic growth and providing cost-effective solutions all while advancing American ingenuity.”

Endera offers fully customizable ICE and EV shuttles and school buses to achieve best-in-class reliability, safety, and quality, along with a proprietary powertrain that achieves the longest range and fastest charge time available. Endera has coupled this with an in-house fleet management software that features real time insights tailored to the transit sector, which includes a rider app and streamlined service response in one integrated platform. To date, the company has delivered the largest deployment of electric shuttles at a US airport and has been selected as a low-bid vendor for the CalAct contract, the largest state EV bus contract in US history.

“We see both commercial and climate value in Endera’s vertically integrated approach because it enables them to respond to customer needs with speed and precision,” said Tenzin Selden, Founder & Managing Partner of Pulse Fund. “By offering a holistic solution, they’re not just filling in gaps in the commercial EV market but solving challenges at every level. We’re excited to support their next phase of growth and contribute to the broader push for nationwide electrification.”

Endera, founded in California in 2019, made the strategic decision to manufacture in Ohio at its 250,000 square foot production facility, a former Philips plant, tapping into a skilled workforce and helping to revitalize the Rust Belt by creating sustainable, clean-energy jobs. The company has increased its production output 20-fold since acquiring the former Winnebago Metro Titan group in 2021.

About Endera:
Endera is a pioneering specialty vehicle company specializing in high-quality shuttle and specialty needs school buses, distinguishing itself as America’s only vertically integrated EV OEM. Endera is a technology company specializing in smart electric specialty buses, charging stations, and software solutions. As an end-to-end specialty vehicle maker, Endera provides vehicle design, manufacturing, and technology. Made in America, Endera delivers one of the lowest total costs of ownership over other commercial electric vehicles and provides sustainable solutions that rival its fossil fuel counterparts in price, technology, longevity, profitability, and service. For more information, visit: www.enderamotors.com.

About Pulse Fund:
Pulse Fund is a venture capital fund investing in high-growth climate companies. The team brings together a unique blend of investment and climate science expertise to identify long-term opportunities that drive capital, innovation, and tangible climate progress.

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President Donald Trump reached an agreement with Canada and Mexico to delay 25-percent import tariffs with each country that were set to go into effect Tuesday.

Trump signed the  executive order Saturday, and Canada responded with its own threat of a 25-percent tariff on $30 billion worth of U.S. goods, also set for Tuesday. The Ministries of Finance and Foreign Affairs said Canada also intended to impose a tariff on $125 billion in additional U.S. goods, which includes electric vehicles, trucks and buses.

The U.S. agreements with Canada and Mexico to postpone the tariffs by at least 30-day days hinged on more investment at both the northern and southern border to curb immigration and the flow of drugs, especially fentanyl.

A 10-percent tariff with China moved forward and went into effect Tuesday.

The American Bus Association (ABA), United Motorcoach Association (UMA), Motor Coach Canada (MCC), and Ontario Motor Coach Association (OMCA) said they are closely monitoring the trade disputes between the U.S. and Canada and warned of the impact to manufacturers, suppliers and consumers.

​ABA, UMA, MCC and OMCA issued a joint update Sunday that said the tariffs could significantly impact the motorcoach industry, which like the school bus industry relies on a global supply chain involving components from both countries. The associations added they are coordinating advocacy and lobbying efforts to mitigate the impact of the tariffs and are encouraging members to share their concerns.

Last month, S&P Global said the blanket tariffs would have a “massive impact” on nearly all automative manufacturers worldwide, with reciprocated tariffs by Canada and Mexico adding “another degree of complexity.” While commenting specifically on passenger vehicles, S&P Global noted that Canadian or Mexican-sourced propulsion systems and components in U.S. manufactured vehicles “would see a tariff as well.”

It added that the tariffs could add $6,250 to the cost of $25,000 vehicle.

School Transportation News reached out to multiple sources Monday to ask about the potential impact of tariffs  school bus production and sales. One source responded that it was premature to discuss the tariffs as they were being negotiated in real time. Another indicated that the tariffs are subject to continuing negotiations and could change, as “school bus manufacturing isn an American success story,” though concern remains especially about individual components.

Meanwhile, Micro Bird, the joint Type A venture between Blue Bird of Fort Valley, Georgia, and Girardin Minibus of Drummondville, Quebec, is the only school bus currently manufactured in Canada for sale in the U.S.

Electric school bus manufacturer GreenPower Motor Company has headquarters in Vancouver, British Columbia, but the company manufactures out of Porterville, California, and South Charleston, West Virginia. RIDE, the school bus arm of Chinese company BYD, manufactures its electric school buses in Lancaster, California.

An auction process begins this month for Lion Electric Company, which obtained bankruptcy protection in December.

Additionally, many school bus suppliers of technology solutions and equipment are based in Canada or have manufacturing there. Many school bus components are also imported from China.

​This is a developing story.

Related: NAFTA Replacement is Expected to Ease Tariff Concerns
Related: Updated: Lion Electric Suspends Manufacturing Operations at Joliet Plant
Related: Electric School Bus Manufacturing Included in Nearly $2B Federal Energy Grant

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In an era where the future of electric school buses has grown increasingly complicated, a pilot project for school districts across the state of New Mexico run by electric school bus manufacturer GreenPower Motor Company to determine the viability and reliability of fast charging in different environments and circumstances.

New Mexico and GreenPower signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that the state will seek an appropriation of $5 million to conduct the pilot program that would fund the purchase of all-electric, purpose-built school buses, installation of charging stations and other resources, and management costs.

The pilot would begin during the 2025-2026 school year and continue into the 2026-2027 school year. All school districts would be eligible to participate voluntarily, with a selection criterion to be determined by the state and GreenPower.

The MOU adds that the state will seek an additional $15 million for purchasing additional school buses to be evaluated during the pilot project, following the successful completion of two phases. It also notes that the state will work with GreenPower to expand the all-electric-commercial fleet operated by the Department of Transportation and General Services Department.

The MOU notes GreenPower’s commitment to American-made lithium iron phosphate batteries, which are used in the company’s Type D BEAST and Mega BEAST as well as Type A Nano BEAST.

Related: Man Arrested After Allegedly Stealing a School Bus in New Mexico
Related: WATCH: GreenPower Motor Company at ACT EXPO
Related: ACT Expo Heads Back to Anaheim, Agenda Released
Related: EPA Extends 2024 Clean School Bus Program Rebate Application Deadline

“New Mexico has an excellent workforce and is a great place for clean energy businesses. We look forward to this pilot project providing the schools an experience with Class 4, Type A and Type D, all-electric, purpose-built, zero-emission school buses. The pilot will determine how state and local governments in New Mexico, and the entire Southwest, can be best served as the market expands for clean commercial vehicles, vans and buses,” GreenPower President Brendan Riley stated.

The MOU was signed Monday in the office of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham by Riley and the Economic Development Department (EDD), which has reportedly been working with GreenPower to find a service center facility in New Mexico.

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SANTA FE, N.M. —The State of New Mexico and GreenPower Motor Company (NASDAQ: GP) entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) for an all-electric, purpose-built school bus pilot project to be conducted in New Mexico in school districts across the state. The MOU provides that the state will seek an appropriation of $5 million to conduct the pilot program.

The MOU was signed on Monday in the office of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham by GreenPower President Brendan Riley and the Economic Development Department (EDD), which has been working with the company to find a service center facility in New Mexico.

The MOU resolves the state support the program with a $5 million capital outlay appropriation for the purchase of all-electric, purpose-built, zero-emission school buses, installation of charging stations, other resources, and management costs of the pilot, which would begin during the 2025-2026 school year and continue into the 2026-2027 school year.

“The EDD team has been working with GreenPower to identify a location in New Mexico to create a presence for the company in the state and encourage other EV sector supply chain entities to be part of creating a western United States manufacturing Hub,” Economic Development Secretary-Designate Rob Black said. “This MOU and the coming pilot program will showcase the state’s leadership in this industry and how our innovative business climate can help bring these cutting-edge technologies to New Mexico.”

Among the goals of the pilot is to determine viability and reliability of fast charging in different environments and circumstances. The pilot would be available to all school districts on a voluntary basis, with a selection criterion determined by the parties. “New Mexico has an excellent workforce and is a great place for clean energy businesses. We look forward to this pilot project providing the schools an experience with Class 4, Type A and Type D, all-electric, purpose-built, zero-emission school buses. The pilot will determine how state and local governments in New Mexico, and the entire Southwest, can be best served as the market expands for clean commercial vehicles, vans, and buses,” Riley said.

After the successful completion of two phases of pilot project, the MOU resolves that the state will seek an additional $15 million for purchasing additional school buses evaluated during the pilot project. The MOU also pledges that the state will work with GreenPower to expand the all-electric, purpose-built, zero-emission commercial fleet at the Department of Transportation and the General Services Department.

Monday’s signing comes on the heels of last week’s announcement in Washington, DC of GreenPower signing an MOU with Impact Clean Power Technology S.A., a Poland based manufacturer of batteries that currently supplies more than 20% of the European transit market. The MOU outlined the companies’ commitment to American-made lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries in the deployment of GreenPower’s medium and heavy-duty vehicles, including its Type D BEAST and Type A Nano BEAST all-electric, purpose-built school buses.

GreenPower Motor Company Inc. (NASDAQ: GP) is a leading manufacturer and distributor of all-electric, purpose-built, zero-emission medium and heavy-duty vehicles serving the cargo and delivery market, shuttle and transit space and school bus sector. GreenPower employs a clean-sheet design to manufacture all-electric vehicles that are purpose-built to be battery powered with zero emissions while integrating global suppliers for key components.

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CAMPBELL, Calif.,– ChargePoint (NYSE: CHPT), a leading provider of networked charging solutions for electric vehicles (EVs), today announced two innovative new solutions to combat charger vandalism, featuring a new cut-resistant charging cable and ChargePoint Protect, an alarm system designed to increase charging station security.

First, ChargePoint announces the charging industry’s first cut-resistant charging cable, specifically designed to deter cable theft. ChargePoint leveraged its more than fifteen-year history of product innovation and charger design expertise to address the critical, industry-wide customer satisfaction issues related to charging cable theft and vandalism. ChargePoint’s cut-resistant charging cables deter theft and vandalism due to novel cut-resistant materials built into the cable, designed to make the cable substantially more difficult for would-be vandals to cut while remaining flexible and easy for drivers to comfortably maneuver while in use. ChargePoint intends to make its cut-resistant cables available for all of its commercial and fleet charging stations as well as to selectively license the cable design to other charging station manufacturers as part of an industry leading effort to combat cable theft and vandalism. ChargePoint believes the customers and partners that elect to use its cut-resistant cable design can make any charging station more resistant to tampering and therefore more dependable for all EV drivers. ChargePoint expects its cut-resistant cables to be available for license by the middle of 2025.

In addition, ChargePoint also announces the launch of ChargePoint Protect, a charger alarm system aimed at further increasing charging station security. ChargePoint Protect integrates a ChargePoint charger’s existing speakers, screens and lighting system to create a highly effective alarm system. ChargePoint Protect is capable of detecting charging cable tampering in real time and automatically engaging the alarm system with the aim of deterring vandals. ChargePoint Protect can be activated on select charging station models at no additional cost to existing ChargePoint customers through a cloud-based software system upgrade. ChargePoint Protect permits ChargePoint customers to receive SMS or email notifications in the event the system’s alarm is triggered, accelerating the timing for the station owners to be alerted or the deployment of law enforcement responses. ChargePoint expects ChargePoint Protect to be available beginning this month.

“ChargePoint Protect and our cut-resistant cables demonstrate our relentless dedication to offering a dependable charging network. We do not view ourselves as victims of vandalism, but rather responsible for solving it, not only for our customers but for the industry,” said Rick Wilmer, CEO of ChargePoint. “We are sharing the technology to combat vandalism in the most aggressive way possible with the aim to eliminate charger reliability as a hinderance to EV adoption.

ChargePoint expects these two new solutions, when combined, will benefit charging station owners by reducing station repair costs associated with vandalism and EV drivers by ensuring they can trust charging stations to work when and where they need them.

For more information about the new products, please visit: www.chargepoint.com. To inquire about licensing the cut-resistant cable technology, please contact: techlicensing@chargepoint.com

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EL DORADO SPRINGS, Mo. – El Dorado Springs R-2 Schools, in partnership with transportation leader First Student, has become the first school district in Missouri, and one of only a few in the country, to transition its entire fleet of regular education bus routes to electric. Today, the district and company held an event to mark the successful deployment of 13 electric school buses (ESBs), which will provide a cleaner, quieter and safer ride for hundreds of students.

“With zero emissions, improved air quality and reduced noise pollution, the deployment of these electric school buses will have an immediate, positive impact on the community,” said First Student Head of Electrification Kevin Matthews. “We appreciate the partnership from

El Dorado Springs R-2 Schools to enhance the bus-riding experience for students. As more districts recognize the long-term benefits of electric school buses, First Student is proud to be leading the charge toward a more sustainable future by embracing this cutting-edge transportation solution.”

The electric school buses are a first for El Dorado Springs R-2 Schools. The ESBs will replace 13 diesel buses in the district’s fleet and will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 700,000 pounds each year.

“The transition to electric school buses demonstrates our commitment to sustainable initiatives and support for innovative technologies,” said El Dorado Springs R-2 Schools Superintendent Brad Steward. “These electric school buses will benefit the well-being of our students and the community, setting a positive example for future generations. We are excited to work with First Student on our shared goal of greener, safer and more efficient transportation for our families.”

Funding from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program covered the cost of the electric school buses and charging stations. First Student has secured enough funding from the program to deploy around 1,200 ESBs for school districts across the United States.

First Student has committed to transitioning 30,000 of its diesel buses to electric by 2035 to improve the health and well-being of even more students and communities. The company

currently operates more than 400 electric school buses throughout North America and is close to marking 5 million miles of service with ESBs, expanding its industry-leading position.

About First Student:
As a leading school transportation solutions provider in North America, First Student strives to provide the best start and finish to every school day. With a team of highly trained drivers and the industry’s strongest safety record, First Student delivers reliable, quality services, including full-service transportation and management, special-needs transportation, route optimization, and scheduling, maintenance, and charter services with a fleet of about 40,000 buses. For more information, visit firststudentinc.com.

The post First Student and El Dorado Springs R-2 Schools Deploy New Fleet of Electric School Buses appeared first on School Transportation News.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – InCharge Energy, the leading provider of end-to-end charging solutions for electric fleets, is pleased to announce that it has completed a majority share buyback of the company from ABB E-mobility, a global leader in EV charging manufacturing.

ABB E-mobility will continue to own a significant stake in InCharge and is committed to helping InCharge grow its software, service, and maintenance business segments.

InCharge and ABB E-mobility also completed a multi-year license agreement for InCharge’s proprietary InControl charge management and maintenance software to ABB E-Mobility for use globally in their products, along with a commitment to leverage InCharge extensive North American-based field service technical solutions group for EV charging service level agreements (SLAs) and repair support.

Cameron Funk, InCharge CEO, commented, “This alignment allows each company, to focus on its individual core expertise – namely, ABB as a best-in-class global manufacturer of electric vehicle charging equipment, and InCharge as the leading provider of fleet charging solutions and software for fleets, with a growing focus on cross-brand service and maintenance support for EV chargers.”

Terry O’Day, member of the Board of Directors and InCharge COO, expressed that “We are delighted to continue to grow as an independent company that will complement ABB’s manufacturing business with software and technical service support. This transition ensures that our businesses continue to perfectly complement each other, creating synergies that provide our customers with even greater reliability and peace of mind over the long term.”

About ABB E-mobility
ABB E-mobility enables a more sustainable and efficient mobility future as a global leader in electric vehicle (EV) charging solutions. The company is a partner of choice for the world’s leading EV OEMs, EV charging network operators and fleet companies. It offers the widest portfolio of EV charging solutions from high-power chargers for destination charging to the highway stations of the future, solutions for the electrification of fleets, and charging for electric buses and trucks. With ~1,400 employees around the world, ABB E-mobility has sold over 50,000 high-power chargers and electrified more than 10.000 sites globally.

About InCharge Energy
InCharge Energy provides reliable, cost-effective charging solutions for North American fleets of all sizes. Its service and maintenance offerings, available in every state and province, are designed to support multiple brands of charging equipment. The company also offers a range of customizable financial solutions to meet every business objective and budget, accelerating the path to fleet electrification for auto manufacturers and dealerships, school districts, and state and local agencies.

The InCharge team of service experts works remotely to keep chargers operational and dispatches on-staff, highly trained technicians across the continent to facilitate rapid issue resolution. The company’s open-API InControl is the first fleet charging software to be widely adopted across North America to control costs and manage charging results. This AI-powered charger maintenance platform is purpose-built to keep electric fleets on the roads, empowering businesses with key insights to easily optimize fleet operations and minimize total cost of ownership (TCO).

The post InCharge Energy Completes Majority Buyback from ABB E-mobility appeared first on School Transportation News.

Ahead of President Donald Trump returning to the Oval Office and his promise to “drill, baby, drill,” school districts nationwide indicated they weren’t completely sold on electric school buses.

That is one conclusion that could be made after school bus manufacturers reported only 26 more electric school buses were manufactured despite year three of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s $5 billion Clean School Bus Program and a 145-percent increase in electric manufacturing the previous year.

It should be noted that school bus manufacturers have only so much current capacity at their factories for electric school buses despite recent new plants opening over the past year. However, one of those, Lion Electric’s plant in Joliet, Illinois, was closed at least temporarily at the end of 2024. At this report, it remained to be seen how long the struggling Canadian manufacturer would remain in business as it sought further extensions of credit lines as well as potential purchaser.

Previously, school bus OEMs have commented that they would each eventually need to achieve an annual output of at least 2,500 electric school buses, a figure widely considered to be necessary for for eventual market saturation. A bet made was that further EPA emissions regulations would phase out diesel.

But the political winds can change fast. While it remained to be seen what would happen to EPA’s Phase 3 GHG emissions regulations set to go into effect in 2027 under Trump, Daimler Truck North America in December announced a new $285 million capital investment into Detroit Diesel’s manufacturing campus in Michigan.

Diesel, indeed, continued to reign supreme as the fuel of choice, so shows the magazine’s annual survey of 10 school bus OEMs for the production cycle of Nov. 1, 2023, to Oct. 31, 2024, accounting for 22,889 school bus units manufactured. Gasoline came in second at 10,404 units. But 7,947 of those were Type A school buses with chassis provided by Ford or GM. Another 434 units not counted to that total were MFSABs.

Overall, the OEMs reported that school bus production decreased by over 2 percent during the 2023-2024 cycle, compared to the 17-plus percent increase in school bus output reported for 2022-2023. The slight dip in total numbers came in at 37,624 units, 2,928 of which were electric school buses.

Already the market share leader in propane, Blue Bird minimally benefited last year by competitors IC Bus and Thomas Built Buses no longer having an option to offer school districts and bus companies. Still, propane increased by 144 units to 1,958. Cummins announced last year it would not bring a propane version of its fuel agnostic engine to market, though it will offer gasoline starting next year. The survey data does not reflect any mass migration from one manufacturer to another in search of a propane option or to its gasoline relative.

Meanwhile, there was a significant jump in Type A production, as output spiked by 25 percent year-over year to 8,538 vehicles. One reason school districts embraced Type A over the past year could be the ongoing trend of finding a work-around to a lack of CDL school bus drivers. It could also reflect an easing of previous cutaway chassis shortages.

Overall, Type Cs continued to be the most specified school bus at 26,098 units, but that represented an over 10 percent decrease from 2022-2023 numbers. Type D increased 3,004 units from the previous figure of 2,601.

Editor’s Note:  Reprinted from the School Transportation News 2025 Buyer’s Guide.

Related: Update: Lion Electric Defaults on Credit Repayment, Says It is Avoiding Bankruptcy
Related: Electric School Bus Manufacturing Included in Nearly $2B Federal Energy Grant
Related: (STN Podcast E149) Don’t Discount Diesel: EV Nuances & School Bus Energy Choices

The post Electric School Bus Production Remains Flat, Mirrors Overall Data appeared first on School Transportation News.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – GreenPower Motor Company Inc. (NASDAQ: GP) (TSXV: GPV) (“GreenPower”), a leading manufacturer and distributor of purpose-built, all-electric, zero-emission medium and heavy-duty vehicles serving the cargo and delivery market, shuttle and transit space and school bus sector, today announced the company has received three orders for 11 Type D all-electric, purpose-built, zero-emission BEAST school buses for school districts in Arizona, California and Oregon.

“As school districts continue to make the change from NOx emitting diesel school buses to a cleaner, healthier means of transporting students, school district transportation departments are pursuing the gold standard of the industry the GreenPower all-electric, purpose-built BEAST and Nano BEAST school buses,” said Paul Start, GreenPower’s Vice President of Sales School Bus Group. “With 2025 fast approaching, the GreenPower school bus order pipeline and production schedule are both at record levels with sales projections for next year set to eclipse the 2024 calendar year.”

The three orders announced today are:
From GreenPower’s exclusive California dealer Model 1 for seven BEASTs for the Los Banos Unified School District in Los Banos, California.
From GreenPower’s exclusive Arizona dealer RWC Group for two BEASTs for the Casa Grande Elementary School District in Casa Grande, Arizona.
From GreenPower’s exclusive Oregon dealer Peterson Trucks for two BEASTs for the Hood River County School District in Hood River, Oregon.

GreenPower’s BEAST is a purpose-built 40-foot Type D all-electric, zero-emission school bus with seating for up to 90 students. Designed from the ground up as an EV, it is a fully integrated structure that features a strong and corrosion resistant aluminum body made from extruded aluminum, manufactured by Constellium, seamlessly mated to a high strength steel Truss (bus) chassis. The complete flat floor design allows for adjustable track seating with no wheel wells in the passenger compartment, and the high floor keeps students out of the impact zone. Combined port charging is standard with Level 2 rates up to 19.2 kW and DC Fast Charging rates up to 85 kW, allowing for full charging in less than three hours.

About GreenPower Motor Company, Inc.
GreenPower designs, builds and distributes a full suite of high-floor and low-floor all-electric medium and heavy-duty vehicles, including transit buses, school buses, shuttles, cargo vans and a cab and chassis. GreenPower employs a clean-sheet design to manufacture all-electric vehicles that are purpose-built to be battery powered with zero emissions while integrating global suppliers for key components. This OEM platform allows GreenPower to meet the specifications of various operators while providing standard parts for ease of maintenance and accessibility for warranty requirements. GreenPower was founded in Vancouver, Canada with primary operational facilities in southern California. Listed on the Toronto exchange since November 2015, GreenPower completed its U.S. IPO and NASDAQ listing in August 2020. For further information go to www.greenpowermotor.com.

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MONTREAL — The Lion Electric Company (NYSE: LEV) (TSX: LEV) (“Lion” or the “Company”), a leading manufacturer of all-electric medium and heavy-duty urban vehicles, announced today that the Company and its subsidiaries have applied to the Superior Court of Quebec (Commercial Division) (the “Court”) for an initial order to seek protection from their creditors under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (“CCAA”). The Company and its subsidiaries also intend to seek recognition of the CCAA proceedings in the United States under Chapter 15 of the Bankruptcy Code.

In its application for an initial order, the Company seeks the approval of a formal sale and investment solicitation process (“SISP”) in order to provide interested parties with the opportunity to submit proposals with a view to enabling the Company and its senior lenders to determine the highest and best available transaction for the Company and its stakeholders.

The initial order application seeks, among other things, a stay of proceedings in favor of the Company and its subsidiaries, including a stay of creditor claims and exercise of contractual rights, and the authorization of an interim debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing to be provided by the lenders under the Company’s senior revolving credit agreement in order to fund the SISP and the Company’s operations during the restructuring process. Approval is also being sought for the appointment of Deloitte Restructuring Inc. as monitor to oversee the CCAA proceedings and report to the Court. While under CCAA protection, management of the Company will remain responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Company under the oversight of the monitor.

This announcement follows the press release issued by the Company on December 17, 2024 announcing the expiry of the covenant relief period under the Company’s senior revolving credit agreement and maturity of the Company’s loan agreement with Finalta Capital and Caisse de dépôt et placement du Quebec.

Trading in the common shares and other listed securities of the Company on the Toronto Stock Exchange (“TSX”) and the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) has been halted. The TSX has also put the Company under delisting review under its expedited review process. It is anticipated that trading in the Company’s listed securities will continue to be halted until completion of the review undertaken by the TSX and the NYSE regarding the suitability of the Company for listing on the TSX and the NYSE.

About Lion Electric

Lion Electric is an innovative manufacturer of zero-emission vehicles, including all electric school buses. Lion is a North American leader in electric transportation and designs, builds and assembles many of its vehicles’ components, including chassis, battery packs, truck cabins and bus bodies.

Always actively seeking new and reliable technologies, Lion vehicles have unique features that are specifically adapted to its users and their everyday needs. Lion believes that transitioning to all-electric vehicles will lead to major improvements in our society, environment and overall quality of life.

The post Lion Electric File Application for Credit Protection Under the CCAA appeared first on School Transportation News.

The deadline passed for Lion Electric Company to repay loans needed to overcome hundreds of millions in debt, but the school bus manufacturer is not heading into bankruptcy, a company spokesperson said.

The statement made to School Transportation News on Tuesday came amid a Lion press release earlier in the day that highlighted use of the Companies Credit Arrangement Act (CCAA), a Canadian federal law dating back to 1933 that allows insolvent companies to avoid liquidation. This occurs through court-directed compromise or arrangement made by a debtor company and its secured creditors.

Lion on Wednesday formally applied for CCAA protection. It also said it will seek recognition of the CCAA process under chapter 15 of the U.S. bankruptcy code.

In the press release on Tuesday, Lion said it “is currently in discussions with its senior lenders to obtain additional funds pursuant to a new debtor-in-possession credit facility and expects to seek creditor protection” under the CCAA as it seeks to restructure its business and financial affairs. Lion added it pursues a formal sales and investment solicitation process for the company’s business or assets.

The Lion spokesperson referred to the CCAA proceedings as a “stable and structured environment” for various restructuring measures under a Revolving Credit Agreement with two lenders represented by the National Bank of Canada and a loan agreement with Finalta Capital Fund that expired on Monday. No timeline was given for when the CCAA agreements will be finalized.

On Dec. 1, Lion announced the latest of four amendments to the Revloving Credit Agreement and an extension of the Finalta Capital loan agreement, a halt to all production at its manufacturing plant in Joliet, Illinois, and the laying off an additional 400 workers on top of the 120 employees laid off in April. The company has trimmed its workforce from nearly 1,300 employees to about 300.

A separate SEC filing that same day announced the Nicolas Brunet resigned as president.
Four days later, Lion said it reached an agreement to sell its Quebec innovation center for $35 million U.S. The company noted in its third-quarter financial results total liabilities of $500 million and a net loss of nearly $75 million as of Sept. 30.

Related: Brunet Resigns as Lion Electric President Amid Company Battle to Stay Solvent
Related: Updated: Lion Electric Suspends Manufacturing Operations at Joliet Plant
Related: NYSE to Commence Delisting Proceedings with Respect to the Warrants of Lion Electric

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MONTREAL — The Lion Electric Company (NYSE: LEV) (TSX: LEV) (“Lion” or the “Company”), a leading manufacturer of all-electric medium and heavy-duty urban vehicles, announced today the expiry of the previously announced covenant relief period under its senior revolving credit agreement entered into with a syndicate of lenders represented by National Bank of Canada, as administrative agent and collateral agent, and including Bank of Montreal and Federation des Caisses Desjardins du Québec (the “Revolving Credit Agreement”), as well as the maturity of the Company’s loan agreement entered into with Finalta Capital Fund, L.P., as lender and administrative agent, and Caisse de dépôt et placement du Quebec (through one of its subsidiaries), as lender (the “Finalta CDPQ Loan Agreement”).

The company had previously announced on Dec. 1, 2024 amendments to the Revolving Credit Agreement and the Finalta CDPQ Loan Agreement in order to extend the covenant relief period and the maturity date of the Finalta CDPQ Loan Agreement to Dec. 16, 2024, which provided the company with additional time to continue to actively evaluate potential alternatives relating to a restructuring of its obligations, a sale of the business or certain of its assets, strategic investments and/or any other alternatives. As no such alternatives have materialized and no further amendments, concessions or waivers have been obtained, the expiry of the covenant relief period and re-introduction of the financial covenants previously applicable under the Revolving Credit Agreement as well as the maturity of the Finalta CDPQ Loan Agreement on Dec. 16, 2024 result in the company being in default pursuant to the terms of the Revolving Credit Agreement, the Finalta CDPQ Loan Agreement and other debt instruments providing for cross-default or cross acceleration provisions, and in the company’s lenders having the ability to exercise their rights and request immediate repayment of amounts borrowed by the company.

As a result of the foregoing, the company is currently in discussions with its senior lenders to obtain additional funds pursuant to a new debtor-in-possession credit facility and expects to seek creditor protection under the companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act in order to restructure its business and financial affairs and pursue a formal sales and investment solicitation process in respect of the company’s business or assets.

Trading in the common shares and other listed securities of the Company on the Toronto Stock Exchange (“TSX”) and the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) has been halted and it is anticipated that the trading thereof will continue to be halted until a review is undertaken by the TSX and the NYSE regarding the suitability of the Company for listing on the TSX and the NYSE.

About Lion Electric

Lion Electric is an innovative manufacturer of zero-emission vehicles, including all electric school buses. Lion is a North American leader in electric transportation and designs, builds and assembles many of its vehicles’ components, including chassis, battery packs, truck cabins and bus bodies.

Always actively seeking new and reliable technologies, Lion vehicles have unique features that are specifically adapted to its users and their everyday needs. Lion believes that transitioning to all-electric vehicles will lead to major improvements in our society, environment and overall quality of life.

The post Lion Electric Announces Expiry of Covenant Relief Period and Defaults Under Certain Conditions of Senior Debt Instruments appeared first on School Transportation News.

The latest personnel move related to the Lion Electric Company monetary issues is Nicolas Brunet, who the company announced is resigned as president 14 months after he was tapped for the position.

Lion made no formal announcement, with a note indicating Brunet was leaving the company immediately tucked away on the second to last page of an SEC filing dated Dec. 1. That same day, the company announced it was halting production at its Joliet, Illinois, factory and was laying over 400 workers.

Lion has until Dec. 16 to pay back four creditors unless it can secure additional investments or find a company to purchase it.

Brunet joined the company headquartered in Saint-Jerome, Quebec, in 2019 and was executive vice president and CFO before being named president on Sept. 28, 2023.

A company spokesperson declined to comment on Wednesday on Brunet’s departure but added that Marc Bedard remains chief executive officer. Bedard founded Lion Electric as Autobus Lion, or Lion Bus, in 2008 after previously serving as an executive for Type A school bus manufacturer Corbeil, which closed the previous year.

Lion’s first school bus was the Lion 360 in 2011, a diesel Type C model developed in partnership with Spartan Chassis. The company transitioned to only manufacturing electric school buses and rebranded itself as Lion Electric in 2017. Two years later it began manufacturing electric trucks.

Related: Low-income Areas Need Electric School Buses the Most, WRI Analysis Indicates
Related: WATCH: STN EXPO Reno Live Stream – The Scalability of Electric School Buses
Related: Dignitaries Highlight Lion Electric’s Joliet Plant Opening Ceremony

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HAINESPORT, N.J., – GreenPower Motor Company Inc. (NASDAQ: GP) (TSXV: GPV) (“GreenPower”), a leading manufacturer and distributor of purpose-built, all-electric, zero-emission medium and heavy-duty vehicles serving the cargo and delivery market, shuttle and transit space and school bus sector, today announced the appointment of Wolfington Body Company as its exclusive school bus dealer in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware and as a dealer for its Class 4 commercial line of EV trucks and vans in the same three states. As part of the appointment, Wolfington has purchased a Type A Nano BEAST Access school bus, a Type D BEAST school bus, an EV Star Passenger Van and an EV Star Stakebed Truck as demo units for the region. GreenPower delivered the EV Stars Passenger Van and EV Star Stakebed Truck to Wolfington on December 2, 2024.

During a press conference today at Wolfington’s Hainesport, New Jersey facility, Wolfington also announced it has received an order for seven GreenPower Type A Nano BEAST all-electric, purpose-built, zero-emission school buses for a local school district in New Jersey.

“Wolfington Body Company is a fifth-generation family-owned business that has been serving the transportation industry since 1876,” said GreenPower President Brendan Riley. “In addition to selling school buses and commercial vehicles, Wolfington is equipped with complete mechanical services and body shops to handle a vehicle’s entire lifecycle. Their parts department supplies thousands of parts with same-day delivery available in most areas. We are thrilled to welcome this superior dealer to the GreenPower network.”

“Wolfington history dates back to the horse and buggy days when the company built its first carriage, a buggy with such durability that it held up under the heavy use of doctors traveling their rounds,” said Richard Wolfington, Jr., Vice President of Wolfington Body Company. “Over the years Wolfington’s business has adopted to changing technology and the move to electric vehicles is a natural progression for our company. We are pleased to partner with a premiere purpose-built electric vehicle OEM like GreenPower to bring these school bus and commercial vehicle options to our customers in the three-state region.”

Joining Wolfington and GreenPower at the announcement were state Assemblywoman Andrea Katz and Hainesport Mayor Leila Gilmore, both of whom praised the new partnership and its benefits. “This type of news is exactly what I’m working toward in Trenton. Hainesport will benefit from this economically and each of us will breathe cleaner air,” Katz said. “School buses are an ideal use of EV technology and to know that the children at Burlington County Special Services School District will be among the first to benefit from this partnership is exceptional.”

“Me and my Green Team could not be happier to see Wolfington expanding right here in our community with EV technology that is healthier for school kids and beneficial to the environment and climate change,” Gilmore added. “This will bring more jobs and economic activity to Hainesport while at the same time helping reach our goals of sustainability.”

About GreenPower Motor Company, Inc.
GreenPower designs, builds and distributes a full suite of high-floor and low-floor all-electric medium and heavy-duty vehicles, including transit buses, school buses, shuttles, cargo vans and a cab and chassis. GreenPower employs a clean-sheet design to manufacture all-electric vehicles that are purpose-built to be battery powered with zero emissions while integrating global suppliers for key components. This OEM platform allows GreenPower to meet the specifications of various operators while providing standard parts for ease of maintenance and accessibility for warranty requirements. GreenPower was founded in Vancouver, Canada with primary operational facilities in southern California. Listed on the Toronto exchange since November 2015, GreenPower completed its U.S. IPO and NASDAQ listing in August 2020. For further information go to www.greenpowermotor.com.

The post GreenPower Announces New Dealer in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware with an Initial Order of 11 EVs appeared first on School Transportation News.

MONTREAL — The Lion Electric Company (NYSE: LEV) (TSX: LEV) (“Lion” or the “Company”), a leading manufacturer of all-electric medium and heavy-duty urban vehicles, announced today that it has reached a definitive agreement with Aéroport de Montreal to sell its innovation center facility located in Mirabel, Québec, for a purchase price of C$50,000,000, subject to customary purchase price adjustments and closing conditions.

All of the net proceeds from the transaction are intended to be used towards the partial repayment of the Company’s senior secured non-convertible debentures issued in July 2023, holders of which currently benefit from a first ranking hypothec over the immovable/real rights related to the innovation center facility. As a result, while the transaction is expected to reduce the Company’s long-term indebtedness, it will not impact the Company’s short term liquidity and cash position.

Closing of the transaction is expected to occur before the end of 2024, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

About Lion Electric

Lion Electric is an innovative manufacturer of zero-emission vehicles, including all electric school buses. Lion is a North American leader in electric transportation and designs, builds and assembles many of its vehicles’ components, including chassis, battery packs, truck cabins and bus bodies.

Always actively seeking new and reliable technologies, Lion vehicles have unique features that are specifically adapted to its users and their everyday needs. Lion believes that transitioning to all-electric vehicles will lead to major improvements in our society, environment and overall quality of life.

The post Lion Electric Reaches Definitive Agreement in Respect of the Sale of Innovation Center Located in Mirabel, Quebec appeared first on School Transportation News.

As Lion Electric attempts to stay afloat amid hemorrhaging cash and rising debt, the company announced a Quebec innovation center is being sold amid the latest workforce reduction that halted production at an Illinois electric vehicle factory that opened not quite a year and a half ago.

On Sunday, Lion announced the latest amendments to its senior revolving credit agreement, the fourth such move this year, extending the maturity agreement with  lenders from Nov. 30 to Dec. 16. Lion said this will allow the company to maintain minimum liquidity needs for continued operation.

“Such additional liquidity will also provide the company with additional time to continue to actively evaluate potential alternatives relating to a restructuring of its obligations, a sale of the business or certain of its assets, strategic investments and/or any other alternatives, including seeking creditor protection … There can be no assurance that the Company will be successful in pursuing and implementing any such alternatives, nor any assurance as to the outcome or timing of any such alternatives,” according to a press release.

Lion also announced it was temporarily laying off 400 additional employees in both the U.S. and Canada. The company laid off 520 workers earlier this year. The latest workforce reduction suspends all production at the Joliet, Illinois, facility, which opened in July 2023 to much fanfare.

The company added that it has approximately 300 employees remaining that will focus on bus manufacturing, sales, service, delivery and maintenance.

On Thursday, Lion said it reached a definitive agreement to sell its innovation center in Mirabel, Quebec to Aéroport de Montreal for $50 million Canadian, about $35.65 million.

“As a result, while the transaction is expected to reduce [Lion’s] long-term indebtedness, it will not impact the company’s short-term liquidity and cash position,” the statement read.

On Nov. 30, the New York Stock Exchange began delisting Lion warrants citing “abnormally low selling price” levels. Since September, company revenue is down nearly 62 percent, with net income down 71 percent.

Lion was the first all-electric school bus manufacturer to reach market in 2017. It has over 2,200 total electric vehicles including trucks on the road.

Related: Low-income Areas Need Electric School Buses the Most, WRI Analysis Indicates
Related: Updated: Rising Insurance? Additional Balancing Act Needed Amid Electric School Bus Push
Related: Brooklyn to Receive a Charge From Electric School Bus Batteries With New Vehicle-To-Everything Smart Energy Hub Built By First Student And Con Edison
Related: School Bus Drivers Discuss Real-Life Experiences Driving Electric Buses

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