After finalizing its funding sources and infrastructure planning , the district began taking demos of various electric school buses on the market . “ We saw many other California districts purchasing one or two electric vehicle units at a time , with decent success ,” said Andrew Koster , director of maintenance operations and transportation for Thermalito UESD . “ We saw other buses on the road and realized that our routes were similar in length – so we decided to give allelectrics a try .” The district was very interested in the prospect of purchasing Type D buses , citing the transit-style for greater visibility and increased seating capacity . GreenPower and Creative Bus Sales visited Oroville for a test drive , the results of which greatly impressed Thermalito ’ s superintendent , assistant superintendent , selected board members , and drivers . Now , with six vehicles preparing to enter route service , Thermalito is essentially pioneering the BEAST in northern California . “ Right away , we saw that the turning radius of the BEAST Type D is amazing ,” Koster said . " Furthermore , the ride quality on the air ride suspension is far superior to any bus in our fleet . Pairing this system with a Recaro seat provides exceptional comfort to our drivers ." “ The drivers felt very comfortable , which is a huge plus for a bus of this size ,” he continued . “ There is so much going on day-to-day in a bus . We want our drivers to focus on the road and students , and less on shakes , bumps , or noises from the drive .” Thermalito ’ s maintenance department installed the charging stations and switchgear , and Pacific Gas & Electric installed the district ’ s power service . As of January , all the district ’ s Blink charging stations are fully operational .
When production of the BEAST vehicles entered its final phase , GreenPower and Creative Bus Sales invited Koster to the factory for a quality check . “ The fit and finish were exceptional – all of the body line , trim work , and rubber around the windows and doors are very tight ,” he said . “ I think those tight tolerances are what makes the BEAST especially quiet . It ’ s also the best-looking electric school bus that we ’ ve ever seen .” “ We ’ re very much looking forward to getting these out on the road .” Shetterly credits the vehicle ’ s robustness and purpose-driven build as the two factors which most impressed Thermalito and other districts . “ People understand the difference between a purpose-built vehicle and a converted vehicle , and they understand it right away ,” Shetterly said . “ The BEAST doesn ’ t have a rear-engine compartment ‘ hump .’ It has a fully flat floor with no wheel wells , allowing for the extra seats . People instantly recognize the wider door and wider aisle . The entire bus feels more sturdy than other electric vehicles , because the chassis and body structures are built around the energy storage .” Once districts drive the vehicle , most comments center around the bus ’ s lack of noise and better pickup compared to its closest competitors . Shetterly said that this is affectionately called the GreenPower Trust Factor . The vehicle reassures customers and districts that the vehicle ’ s design is well researched , safe , and reliable . “ We are not ‘ blitzing ’ the market ,” he said . “ We are expanding steadily , gathering data , and allowing the BEAST to grow organically as more districts get to experience the vehicle .” “ At the end of the day , we want to do this correctly ,” he continued . “ We want to bring a vehicle to market that is going to be reliable , serviceable , durable , environmentally-friendly , and get these students back and forth to where they need to go safely .”
NAPT . ORG | 13