Commercial vehicle and powertrain specialist Lightning eMotors (NYSE: ZEV) has partnered with school bus manufacturer Collins Bus, a subsidiary of REV Group, to manufacture electric Type A school buses.

Type A buses are the smallest type of school buses manufactured in North America, and are based on a cutaway van chassis.

Each of the all-electric Type A school buses will have a gross vehicle weight of 14,500 pounds, and will feature Lightning’s NMC battery packs. They will support both Level 2 charging and DC fast charging, as well as Lightning’s vehicle-to-grid (V2G) solution. Other features include a digital dashboard display, hill-hold functionality, telematics, analytics and a mobile app for drivers and fleet managers.

The first batch of e-buses is already in production, and the first units are expected to be delivered to dealerships and school districts this fall.

“Collins has decades of bus manufacturing experience, and is a long-standing leader in Class A school buses, with a well-established and loyal dealer network and customer base,” said Tim Reeser, CEO of Lightning eMotors. “There are nearly half a million school buses in the US, that are sitting at peak electric times available to put energy back on the grid. Collins’s leadership will be a strong catalyst for the market to move to all-electric.”

“Our customers and dealers have been asking for a high-performance, cost-effective zero-emission school bus, with demand increasing significantly in recent months,” said Chris Hiebert, VP and General Manager of Collins Bus. “After visiting Lightning’s facility in Colorado, we were convinced they are the right partner for us.”

Source: Lightning eMotors