Phoenix Motor Inc., a manufacturer of all-electric medium-duty vehicles, has announced an order for 10 all-electric, zero-emission Type-A school buses to be deployed from the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), calling for the deployment of the 10 school buses in the District of Columbia during 2024.
The Phoenix buses will be built on Ford E-450 chassis powered by Phoenix’s 150-mile-range battery-electric drive system and a Pegasus Orion school bus body.
“This is a vital first step to improving our carbon footprint and improving air quality in and around our schools and communities,” says State Superintendent Dr. Christina Grant. “The new electric buses will support our efforts to operate a cleaner and greener bus fleet in our community. We are grateful to Phoenix Motorcars and Pegasus Specialty Vehicles for their partnership in helping to better protect the health of children across the district.”
The Phoenix vehicles can be fully charged in less than two hours with a 100 kW Level III charger. The school buses, compared to their equivalent fossil fueled alternatives, can reduce atmospheric emissions by approximately 79 tons per vehicle annually, reduce maintenance costs by around 75% and lower fuel costs by approximately 80%.
“With this order, the District of Columbia is taking great steps to electrify its school bus fleet and cleaning the air quality near its students and in its communities,” Phoenix CEO Denton Peng says.
