Denver Public Schools installs 650 kW Kempower charging system for 28 electric school buses

Denver Public Schools has commissioned a 650 kW Kempower charging system at its Hilltop Bus Terminal to support a fleet of 28 electric school buses.

The charging project was led by industrial automation and electrical solutions provider Winn-Marion, with Kempower supplying the charging hardware and serving as technology partner. According to Kempower, the infrastructure is ready for the new school year beginning August 24.

Denver Public Schools recently added 25 Blue Bird Vision electric school buses, bringing its battery-electric fleet to 28 vehicles. The district states that this is the largest electric school bus fleet in Colorado.

Denver electric school bus depot gets 650 kW charging system

The Hilltop Bus Terminal installation is based on a Kempower distributed charging system with 650 kW of total power. It includes 13 dual-port Kempower Satellite dispensers, providing a total of 26 charging plugs.

Kempower states that the distributed architecture dynamically allocates the available charging power among multiple connected vehicles. The system can therefore serve several buses from the site’s shared 650 kW power capacity.

With 28 electric buses in the Denver Public Schools fleet and 26 plugs installed at the terminal, the charging infrastructure provides connections for up to 26 vehicles simultaneously. The release does not specify the maximum charging power available to an individual bus or provide details on charging schedules.

PowerFlex, formerly The Mobility House, is also involved in the project in the areas of smart charging and energy management, according to Winn-Marion.

Denver Public Schools expands fleet with 25 Blue Bird Vision electric buses

The charging installation accompanies the addition of 25 Blue Bird Vision electric school buses to the Denver Public Schools fleet. Together with the district’s existing electric vehicles, the additions take the fleet to 28 battery-electric school buses.

Kempower identifies Denver Public Schools as Colorado’s largest school district and, citing the district, states that its 28 vehicles constitute the largest electric school bus fleet in the state.

The company also reports that its charging equipment is currently used at electric school bus depots in Denver as well as locations in Quebec, Louisiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Indiana and Wisconsin.

In brief

• How many electric school buses does Denver Public Schools operate?
  The fleet comprises 28 electric school buses following the addition of 25 Blue Bird Vision vehicles.
• How much charging capacity has been installed?
  The Hilltop Bus Terminal charging system has 650 kW of total power.
• How many charging plugs are available?
  The installation has 13 dual-port Kempower Satellite dispensers, providing 26 plugs.
• Who delivered the charging project?
  Winn-Marion led the project, with Kempower supplying the charging hardware and PowerFlex involved in smart charging and energy management.

Monil Malhotra, President of Kempower North America, said: “Electrifying a school bus fleet requires charging infrastructure that works around the realities of daily transportation schedules. Kempower technology keeps electric school buses charged, ready, and on the road, helping Denver Public Schools deliver reliable, cleaner transportation for students every day.”

Jim Hussey, Electrification Solutions Specialist at Winn-Marion Companies, said: “We couldn’t be more pleased with the entire team’s performance on this significant project. Denver Public Schools is a smart, organized group, Kempower has been highly supportive from day one, and PowerFlex (formerly The Mobility House) has proven to be an outstanding partner in the Smart Charging and Energy Management space. We look forward to the opportunity to support other school districts throughout the Rocky Mountain region over the coming years.”