Meritor Inc. will provide its Blue Horizon 14Xe integrated ePowertrain for the next generation, all-electric Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley school bus from Thomas Built Buses (TBB), a Daimler Trucks North America brand (DTNA).
This is Meritor's first electric vehicle production award with a DTNA nameplate. The intended agreement will span five years and is expected to start in January 2024.
"Being selected by Daimler Trucks North America to supply zero-emission electric propulsion for its next-generation school buses is especially gratifying," said John Nelligan, SVP and president, Truck, Americas at Meritor. "This is an exciting opportunity to expand our relationship with DTNA."
See also: Validation process starts for Mullen Class 2 EV cargo van
"The versatility and robustness of the integrated 14Xe ePowertrain is a great complement to the next-gen, all-electric Jouley from Thomas Built," said Kendra Eads, VP of engineering and technology at TBB. "We look forward to working closely with our colleagues at Meritor on integration of the 14Xe and delivering even greater efficiencies for school districts across the country."
Meritor's 14Xe ePowertrain system is in full production starting this month and is suitable for a range of commercial vehicle applications across Classes 5-8.
The 14Xe ePowertrain is a fully integrated, all-electric drive system and is the only integrated electric powertrain in production for Class 8 vehicles in North America. To promote the launch, Meritor is debuting an all-new video production titled "The Road Ahead Is Blue."
