Proterra and Thomas Built Buses unveiled a new high-performance electric school bus, featuring a Proterra® battery system, at the 44th Annual National Association of Pupil Transportation (NAPT) Conference.

The Saf-T-Liner® eC2 electric school bus powered by Proterra represents Proterra’s entrance into a new commercial vehicle sector, the school bus market, and further demonstrates the mass-market shift towards electrification of commercial transportation solutions, according to the company. The eC2 bus is being co-developed with Thomas Built Buses in Proterra’s Greenville, S.C., manufacturing facility.

Thomas Built Buses is a subsidiary of Daimler Trucks North America. In September, Proterra announced a collaboration with Daimler to explore opportunities to incorporate Proterra’s electric vehicle technology into Daimler’s commercial vehicle platforms. The Saf-T-Liner eC2 bus powered by Proterra is the first of these vehicles to be unveiled.

Designed from the ground-up with an emphasis on safety, durability, and performance, Proterra battery packs provide energy density and proprietary battery thermal management to ensure optimal vehicle performance and safety. Proterra battery systems undergo rigorous testing and incorporate both active and passive safety systems. The eC2 bus can be charged with industry-standard J1772 CCS plug-in charging technology, including the Proterra 60kW charging system, in about three hours.