Wednesday, March 27, 2024

BYD introduces high-safety electric school bus with bi-directional charging

The Chinese technology group BYD (“Build Your Dreams”) has introduced a battery-electric Type D school bus with unparalleled safety features and performance, wrapped in a sleek design that will have students wanting to step onboard.

The BYD all-electric school bus is available in length options of 35, 38, and 40 feet and offers space for up to 84 students. The Type-D is powered by two-wheel motors, and a lithium iron phosphate battery is supposed to provide a range of up to 155 miles (250 km) on a single charge. BYD does not provide details on the battery and the performance of the drive.

It is interesting that the Type D should have bidirectional charging functions. This should allow the school buses to be charged slowly at night when energy demand is low. The clean, emission-free energy can then be fed back into the classroom during school hours when the bus is parked, keeping classrooms well-lit and students and teachers plugged in.

BYD introduces high-safety electric school bus with bi-directional charging.
It offers space for up to 84 students. Credit: BYD

Overall, BYD’s innovative battery-electric technology can cut fuel costs by as much as 60% compared to diesel vehicles. Also, with fewer moving parts and less vibration, maintenance costs can be cut by as much as 60%.

To make the school bus as safe as possible, the company has incorporated some advanced tech, including such features as electronic stability control to aid handling, a collision-avoidance system, and a 360-degree monitoring system to detect pedestrians and cyclists when the bus is operating at slow speeds. In addition, there is also a “Predictive Stop Arm,” which monitors approaching traffic and notifies students when it may not be safe to cross the street.

These school bus seats are not only designed to keep children safer, but they have the benefits of improving behavior, reducing bullying, and minimizing driver distraction. The driver’s area features comfort seats, an 18-inch power steering wheel, a telescopic steering column, a high level of visibility, easy-to-reach control switches, and an air conditioning system.

From the beginning, our team has always been focused on many key features,” said Samuel Kang, BYD’s Head of Total Technology Solutions. “We believed the Type D electric bus needed to be appealing to kids while at the same time offer the upmost safety features and driver ergonomics, be equipped with a safe, high-performance battery, and have plenty of storage capacity for road trips. The BYD Type D school bus achieves all those goals.”

BYD does not provide any information on the production and pricing of electric school buses.