At the event, the company announced that it plans to commence commercial availability of the propane-powered stripped chassis in the second quarter of 2026.

The move marks a USD 30 million investment to produce small and midsize buses, including electric and non-electric models, and aims to double Micro Bird’s production capacity by the end of 2025.

The 38 Vision propane-powered Type C school buses have 42 seats and can cover 300 miles (482 kms) on a single tank thanks to the 7.3-litre engine supplied by Ford Motor Company and integrated by the engineering firm, ROUSH CleanTech.

The company announced that Britton Smith will replace Phil Horlock as the new CEO on September 29, 2024. Doug Grimm has been appointed Chairman, effective immediately.

There was plenty to report from the 2024 edition of the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo held at the Las Vegas Convention Center between May 20-23.

The prototype step van is the first vehicle of its kind to be built by the school bus manufacturer, with powertrain components supplied by Xos.

New York Mayor, Eric Adams, announced USD 77 million in federal funding for the New York School Bus Incentive Program (NYSBIP), which provides subsidies to help NY school districts fund the acquisition of 180 new electric school buses.

The Board of Directors has approved the decision to repurchase USD 60 million of its common stock over the next 24 months (two years). The transaction will be funded by the company’s cash reserves.

Delivery to the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is expected to start in October 2024 and conclude by the end of 2025. The order includes 150 All-American and 30 Vision model buses, both have a range of 210 km (130 miles) on a single charge.

Clean Bus Solutions, a JV established by Blue Bird and finance house, Generate Capital, will allow school districts to pay a set fee per month as a way of procuring electric buses; making electric school buses more affordable and available to U.S. school districts. The service also includes charging solutions, maintenance and fleet planning services.

Albert Burleigh has been named VP of Alternative Fuels and Dr Jeff Van Assche, VP of Purchasing.

Blue Bird zero-emission school buses serve school districts across 41 states. According to the company, by replacing 1,500 diesel school buses with electric equivalents, they are saving 16,000 thousand metric tons of CO2 annually!