The GreenPower company presented an interesting electric car – a school bus called Mega Beast. A huge battery with a capacity of 387 kWh ensures a range of almost 480 kilometers and can transport up to 90 peoplei.e. approximately three classes full of children.
The D-type long-wheelbase model has the longest range and has the largest battery on the market (regarding school buses). It uses a lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery, which offers a large amount of power and a longer life, but a higher initial cost.
It’s a Mega Beast an improved version of the regular Beast model by GreenPower with a range of 140 miles and a capacity of 197.3 kWh (Beast stands for Battery Electric Car School Transport). Along with twice the size of the battery, it allows for better uphill performance.
The question arises, why is such a long range needed when school buses usually make only two trips a day? This version is intended for routes with a longer range, such as rural schools or places where it is not possible to charge the bus at midday. It is also designed for regions with extreme weather conditions and schools that use the all-electric bus for extracurricular activities as well.
Large electric school buses with a range of around 160 kilometers can stop $300,000 to $400,000which is up to four times the price of a diesel-powered school bus. However, maintenance costs are lower, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently launched the Clean School Bus Program, which will provide $5 billion over five years to replace existing school buses with zero- and low-emission models.
Source: engadget.com
