Colton Joint Unified School District (CJUSD), in San Bernardino County, California is on the road to sustainable student mobility with the delivery of two all-electric, zero-emission, American-made Type C Starcraft eQuest XL school buses from Creative Bus Sales, Inc. and powered by all-electric powertrains from Motiv Power Systems. The buses are certified for operation by the California Highway Patrol (CHP) and will be deployed on routes in the next few weeks. Creative Bus Sales will provide service support for the County.
“We’re proud to be building a future with Creative Bus Sales and CJUSD, where a ride to and from school is not a threat to a child’s healthy lungs,” said Motiv CEO, Jim Castelaz. “As a father, I’m thrilled that Motiv can help families, disadvantaged communities and schools access zero-emission solutions that protect our children from harmful, cancer-causing pollutants.”
Funded in part by a grant through the California Energy Commission (CEC) and the South Coast Air Quality Management District, Motiv powered buses deliver best-in-class performance in safety, driving experience, and range by using the versatile and modular Motiv all-electric powertrain, says the company. These zero-emission school buses have flexible seating, support wheelchair access and can be configured to accommodate up to 8 wheelchairs for routes with special needs children. Built on Ford’s F59 chassis, the buses provide a maximum capacity of 48 passengers and a range of up to 85 miles on a single charge.
“The Motiv electric powertrain is giving Creative’s eQuest XL school bus unprecedented performance previously uncharacteristic of electric buses,” says Joe Angeli of Creative Bus Sales. “The hill climbing power and acceleration provided by the electric powertrain gives these buses a driving experience consistent with standard buses creating a safer driving environment for the buses and the children they transport.”
Motiv Power Systems is leading the way by delivering safe, reliable electric-powered school buses across the nation. Motiv has earned Ford’s electric-Qualified Vehicle Modifier approval of its all-electric powertrain, a testament to Motiv’s focus on safety and reliability. In addition to the Type C buses now in operation at Colton, Motiv Power Systems delivered the first Type A bus operating in New York and has had Type A buses running in the King’s Canyon school district in California since 2014.
