New plants are expected to enhance Bosch’s components position in the country’s rapidly expanding new energy vehicle (NEV) supply chain.

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 USD 18.5 million contract is funded by the EPA grant under the Clean School Bus Program. The order is for a mixture of Mega and Nano Beasts set to be delivered starting in 2025.

The whole vehicle will be produced entirely on the line at Atessa, which Stellantis said marked a “historic moment” for the facility and “a significant step in sustainable commercial vehicle manufacturing”.

The company is investing EUR 600 million to transform the facility into a hub for manufacturing electric and hydrogen-powered buses, including the Heuliez GX Elec, Iveco E-Way and the new E-Way-H2 hydrogen model.

The move comes shortly after the company signed a single order for 500 light trucks with a local logistics company in the country.

Initially, the facility will have a production capacity of 50,000 packs a year; MAN is hoping to expand this to 100,000 by 2030.

The company says its facility in Fullerton, California is already set up to produce a “high volume” of batteries with “standard” chemistry (likely LFP) on one line and low volumes of battery packs for research and development purposes on two other lines.

Nova Bus announced last year that it would cease production at Plattsburgh by 2025, citing the location’s weak profitability.

Parent company NFI has made “significant” investments in infrastructure and workforce at the site, including the installation of chargers, expansion of storage and commissioning areas, and retraining of staff, in order to prepare the facility for electric coach production.

The ten ‘Endurance’ TRUs were the first to be produced at the company’s new headquarters and production facility in Leatherhead.

Known for its supply of brake pads and linings to both the aftermarket and OE markets for more than 30 years, the company plans to ramp up the supply of brake discs and heavy-duty shock absorbers in North America.