The Lion Electric Company, a manufacturer of all-electric medium- and heavy-duty urban vehicles, has begun customer deliveries of its newly launched LionD electric school buses in California. The largest vehicle type within the school bus segment, the LionD offers seating capacity for 83 children and a range of up to 155 miles on a single charge.
“We’re excited for customers to deploy their LionDs and experience all that they have to offer,” says Nicolas Brunet, president of Lion. “These electric school buses, which are in high demand on the West Coast, are manufactured in the United States at our Joliet, Ill. facility. The zero-emission LionD will improve the well-being of our customers and society for years to come, and I couldn’t be prouder of our entire team for working resiliently to bring this new platform to life.”
The LionD has been designed for safety, from improved air quality and reduced noise pollution to an extra-wide center aisle that adds efficient entry/exiting and improved rearward driver visibility. This bus has a programmable low-speed sound generator, forward visibility optimized front windshield for improved sight of cross traffic and student safety when walking in front of the bus, and an ergonomically designed driver cockpit.
Built on the foundation of the all-electric LionC, which has been transporting students across North America for more than eight years, the LionD is the first Lion bus to feature a driver-centric cockpit with a liquid crystal display interface specifically engineered for managing electric operational performance.
Purpose-built as an electric vehicle, the LionD provides an all-electric powertrain that offers lower energy and maintenance costs than traditional diesel-powered school buses. Similar to the LionC, it features rust-free composite body panels, staircase and low-voltage battery compartment, as well as a modular lower skirt and one-piece seamless fiberglass roof that eliminates thousands of rivets and potential leak points.
School districts and contractors considering the LionD have direct access to the Lion Customer Success team, who can support the transition to zero emissions and maximize customer operational success.
Federal, state and local funding, as well as incentives such as the U.S. EPA’s Clean School Bus Program, California HVIP and the IRA clean commercial vehicle tax credit (IRC 45W) are available to assist with the purchase of a LionD.