• Modesto City Schools in California Receives Milestone Vehicle to Help District Transition to Zero-Emission Student Transportation

MACON, Ga. / Oct 24, 2023 / Business Wire / Blue Bird Corporation (Nasdaq: BLBD), the leader in electric and low-emission school buses, has delivered its 1,500^th electric, zero-emission school bus marking an industry-leading milestone. Modesto City Schools in California received Blue Bird’s 1500^th electric vehicle (EV) to help the district transition its school bus fleet to clean student transportation and further lower its carbon footprint.

“The completion of our fleet of electric buses is just one of many steps we are taking toward environmental sustainability at Modesto City Schools,” said Dr. Sara Noguchi, superintendent of Modesto City Schools. “This project speaks to the impact that any district can choose to have – by committing to environmental sustainability and prioritizing dollars and effort toward that goal.”

Modesto’s milestone unit is now one of 1,500 Blue Bird electric school buses serving school districts across 41 U.S. states. Replacing 1,500 diesel-powered and polluting school buses with an equal number of zero-emission vehicles reduces harmful carbon emissions by nearly 16,000 metric tons annually. In addition, more than 110,000 students a day are no longer exposed to diesel tailpipe emissions linked to serious health issues such as asthma or heart disease.

“Blue Bird is recognized as the technology leader and innovator of low- and zero-emission school buses. We are proud to celebrate this major milestone – an industry first – with Modesto City Schools and all our valued customers across North America. In addition, we are thankful to our amazing employees, dealers, and suppliers for contributing every day to our joint success,” said Britton Smith, president at Blue Bird Corporation. “The demand for clean and sustainable school bus transportation remains high. Therefore, Blue Bird continues to significantly expand its electric school bus production.”

Blue Bird recently celebrated the grand opening of its Electric Vehicle (EV) Build-up Center, which will enable the company to increase its long-term production capacity to 5,000 electric school buses a year. Blue Bird's zero-emission school buses are powered by the electric PowerDrive 7000 system from Accelera by Cummins, which is a result of their long-standing collaboration on technology innovation. This partnership has been instrumental in providing school districts nationwide with sustainable and environmentally friendly transportation solutions.

Modesto City School purchased its advanced electric vehicles through Blue Bird’s authorized school bus dealer A-Z Bus Sales in California.

Press Photo/Caption: Blue Bird delivered its 1500^th electric, zero-emission school bus marking an industry-leading milestone. Modesto City Schools in California received Blue Bird’s 1500^th electric vehicle to help the district transition its school bus fleet to clean student transportation and further lower its carbon footprint. (Image provided by Modesto City Schools)

About Blue Bird Corporation

Blue Bird (NASDAQ: BLBD) is recognized as a technology leader and innovator of school buses since its founding in 1927. Our dedicated team members design, engineer and manufacture school buses with a singular focus on safety, reliability, and durability. Blue Bird buses carry the most precious cargo in the world – the majority of 25 million children twice a day – making us the most trusted brand in the industry. The company is the proven leader in low- and zero-emission school buses with more than 20,000 propane, natural gas, and electric powered buses in operation today. Blue Bird is transforming the student transportation industry through cleaner energy solutions. For more information on Blue Bird's complete product and service portfolio, visit www.blue-bird.com.

About Modesto City Schools

Modesto City Schools serves the community with a variety of programs for ages two months to adult. Composed of an elementary district (TK-8) and a high school district (9-12) with a common Board of Education and administration, seven other school districts feed into Modesto City Schools at the high school level. Current enrollment is approximately 30,000. Students are served in 22 elementary schools (TK-6), four junior high schools (7-8), seven comprehensive high schools, and one alternative high school (9-12). For more information, visit www.mcs4kids.com.