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Presentation & Ribbon Cutting to be held Thursday, Dec. 7 at Deshler High School sponsored by Transportation South

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Dec. 4, 2023 – Transportation South, Inc., Alabama’s largest school bus provider, and Thomas Built Buses, the industry’s largest provider of all electric school buses, are pleased to announce Tuscumbia City Schools will be the first school system in the state of Alabama to receive a Thomas Built Bus SAF-T-LINER® C2 Jouley, the first Electric School Bus being delivered with the EPA Clean School Bus Program. On Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023, a celebration presentation of the bus and a ribbon cutting ceremony will be held from 10 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. at Deshler High School Auditorium, located at 200 N. Commons St. E. (Tuscumbia, AL 35674).

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WHAT:          Tuscumbia City Schools Receives First Electric School Bus in Alabama;
                        Via EPA Clean School Bus Program Presentation & Ribbon Cutting to be held.

WHO:            Transportation South, Thomas Built Buses & Tuscumbia City Schools

WHEN:          Thursday, Dec. 7 – 10 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.

WHERE:       Deshler High School Auditorium, 200 N. Commons St. E.; Tuscumbia, AL 35674

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With funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA’s Clean School Bus (CSB) Program provides $5 billion over five years (FY 2022-2026) to replace existing school buses with zero-emission and low-emission models. Under the Program’s first funding opportunity, the 2022 CSB Rebates, EPA solicited applications for zero-emission and low-emission school buses and awarded up to $965 million to fund school bus replacements at nearly 400 schools. For round one, Tuscumbia was the very first order submitted to Thomas nationally.

“Tuscumbia City Schools is a trailblazer,” said Bucky Law, president and CEO of Transportation South. “Tuscumbia and other school systems entering into the electric bus business are blazing a path for not only themselves, but for other school districts and operators in Alabama and across the country. Thank you to Tuscumbia City Schools for your partnership as we move the needle in school transportation once again for a safer, cleaner, school experience for our children and theirs.”  

In contrast to current buses, the C2 Jouley is emissions-free at the tailpipe, noise pollution-free and fossil fuel-free, helping schools to save operating costs. With the popularity of electric vehicles on the rise, electric school buses will drive the transportation industry in a new direction – emission-free. Alabama school buses currently operate on fossil fuel. Electricity has the lowest and most stable operating cost of any propulsion source.

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The SAF-T-LINER® C2 Jouley Electric School Bus includes the following features:

• Lowest and most stable operating cost of any vehicle
• Charges in two to three hours at a DC charging station
• Includes specialized battery packaging for increased safety
• Has up to 138-mile operating range
• Built with up to 220 kWh power

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“We at Tuscumbia City Schools strive for the very best for our students, drivers, faculty and community,” said Tuscumbia City Schools Superintendent Russ Tate. “We are thrilled to be the first school system in Alabama to receive an electric school bus under the Clean School Bus Program and know this will equip us as we drive into the future.”

The transition of almost 500,000 diesel-fueled school buses to electric school buses will decrease emissions, thus creating a more sustainable and eco-friendly form of transportation. Among all EV applications, school buses are the best suited for electrification because of:

• Low daily mileage
• Predictable, planned routes
• Health benefits for students and community
• Downtime between routes allowing for midday charging if needed
• Ability to provide power back to grid during peak times

“As Alabama’s exclusive Thomas Built Bus dealer, Transportation South is honored to help introduce the wave of the future – 100 percent electric school buses,” said Law. “We have always been leaders and innovators in the realm of school transportation. Our entire team looks forward to bringing this transformative technology to schools throughout Alabama and the Southeast.”

For media inquiries, please contact Audrey Pannell at 205.503.5955 or

[email protected]. For more information about The Bus Center family of companies, visit www.thebuscenter.com or call 888-994-5143.

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About Transportation South

Transportation South, Inc. and TheBusCenter.com (Birmingham, Ala.) and its sister companies Mid-South Bus Center (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) and The Bus Center – Atlanta (Austell, Ga.), offer an exceptional selection of new and used buses for schools, churches, retirement communities, daycares, hotels and more. The Bus Center family of companies offer post-sales support and service that is unmatched in the bus business. Founded in 1972, Transportation South, Mid-South Bus Center and The Bus Center – Atlanta deliver more than 1,500 buses and vans each year. For more information, visit www.thebuscenter.com.

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About Thomas Built Buses

Headquartered in High Point, N.C., Thomas Built Buses, Inc., is a leading manufacturer of

school buses in North America. Founded in 1916, Thomas Built Buses is a subsidiary of Daimler

Trucks North America, LLC, a Daimler company and the largest heavy-duty truck manufacturer

in North America. Since the first Thomas Built bus rolled off the assembly line, the company has

been committed to delivering the smartest and most innovative buses in North America. Learn more at https://thomasbuiltbuses.com/.

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