Melbourne-based SEA Electric has secured a deal with American school bus dealer Midwest Transit Equipment to convert 10,000 buses to electric drivetrains as well as add vehicle-to-grid (V2G) charging capacity.
The deal, understood to be the largest of its kind in the world, will see electric truck maker SEA Electric convert a range of small and large capacity school buses over the next five years.
The agreement includes converting shorter “Type A” buses where the driver sits in a separate cabin and “Type C” buses, which like the Type A also sport a front “nose” to house the engine but in which the driver sits in the main bus space. (“Type D” buses, which have a flat front and house the motor behind the rear wheels, are more common in Australia.)
Using its patented SEA Electric drive systems, the Australian company will also add V2G charging to allow the bus batteries to be used to help stabilise the electricity grid while stationary during school hours.
SEA Electric says that converting buses is by far a more affordable option compared to buying a new bus. According to a statement from the company, it can deliver two or three converted electric buses for the same price as a new electric-powered bus.
Tony Fairweather, founder and CEO of SEA Electric, says the agreement is the company’s “most significant in this segment to-date.”
“It not only illustrates the appetite for transition to 100% electric transport, it defines the point-in-time that the commercial vehicle industry transitioned to sustainable scale, without the need for incentives,” he says.
With children particularly at risk of respiratory illness due to exposure to diesel fumes from school buses, the conversion of 10,000 school buses is particularly significant.
The deal will also help Midwest Transit Equipment transition to clean transport with minimal cost, as well as create jobs, says SEA Electric chief strategy officer in the US, Mike Menyhart.
“The secondary use of school buses fitted with all-electric drivetrains makes a lot of sense; it keeps costs down, opens up considerable availability, creates green jobs right here in the US all while making a difference in the environment and the health of the communities we serve,” he said.
Bridie Schmidt is associate editor for The Driven, sister site of Renew Economy. She has been writing about electric vehicles since 2018, and has a keen interest in the role that zero-emissions transport has to play in sustainability. She has participated in podcasts such as Download This Show with Marc Fennell and Shirtloads of Science with Karl Kruszelnicki and is co-organiser of the Northern Rivers Electric Vehicle Forum. Bridie also owns a Tesla Model Y and has it available for hire on evee.com.au.