Virginia, USA – As school districts look ahead to the start of a new school year, a major milestone was recently achieved with Virginia’s school bus fleet. The state now operates more than 100 Thomas Jouley electric school buses, which have accumulated over 1 million service miles. The buses have been operating in all regions of the state since early 2021 and have proven to be a reliable, efficient, and sustainable mode of student transportation.
The deployment of these buses represents one of the nation’s largest statewide fleets of electric school buses. Virginia’s transition to electric school buses was launched in 2019 when Dominion Energy announced its program for what was at the time the largest deployment of electric school buses across the nation. Since then, the electric school bus movement in Virginia has taken root and gained traction with over 40 school districts.
The Thomas Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley electric school buses are powered by industry-leading battery technology from Proterra. The buses are equipped with telematics software to provide real-time data on the buses’ performance, enabling fleet operators to monitor and optimize the vehicles’ performance.
“We are proud to have reached this major milestone in Virginia, and we are inspired by the school districts and communities who have pioneered the adoption of electric school buses,” said Caley Edgerly, President & CEO of Sonny Merryman. “Electric school buses are a win-win solution, providing an efficient and safe mode of transportation for students while reducing emissions and improving air quality.”
The success of the electric school buses in Virginia is a testament to the benefits of electric transportation and the commitment of school districts and communities to a sustainable future. Sonny Merryman is proud to be a leader in this movement and looks forward to continuing to provide innovative and sustainable transportation solutions.
For more information on Sonny Merryman and its electric school buses, please visit www.sonnymerryman.com/jouley.
