Campbell County Welcomes First Electric Buses from Evington-Based Sonny Merryman Bus Company

Campbell County's first electric bus parked along front of school

Dr. Tim Hoden, Director of Operations for Campbell County Public Schools, welcomed members of the community to a ribbon-cutting event for the County’s first electric school buses on Friday, April 1, 2022 at Leesville Elementary. Guests were invited to peer under the hood at the 220 kWh electric motor on bus number “EV1”, one of two new Jouley Electric School Buses purchased from Sonny Merryman, transportation dealers headquartered in Campbell County. Campbell County is the first school district in the area to receive these electric buses, which are built in North Carolina by manufacturer, Thomas Built Buses, Inc. These two buses represent the 51st and 52nd electric buses Sonny Merryman has supplied to school districts across the Commonwealth.

American Electric Power (AEP) provided a substantial grant to aid in the purchase of the two vehicles as well as the cost of purchasing and installing the charging equipment and Larry Jackson, AEP’s Director of External Affairs was on-site to promote the partnership.

“AEP is proud to be a part of returning electric transportation to Central Virginia,” Jackson notes, recalling the days when electric trolleys ran along city streets. Jackson also spoke about how pleased he was to partner with both Campbell County Schools and with Sonny Merryman.

Floyd Merryman, Executive Chairman of Sonny Merryman Inc. described zero-emission buses as “the most consequential and transformational development in pupil transportation” in his lifetime. “While this technology is still in its infancy,” he continued, “I think we can all agree it is the future of human mobility and global sustainability.”

Student speakers, including Hunter Robertson, a 4th grade student at Leesville Elementary, and Maggie Kidd and Ella Wesolowski, both 12th graders at Brookville High School, did agree. They expressed their excitement over the new buses and how much they value the reduced emissions as part of a more environmentally-friendly approach to transportation. Each Jouley Electric School Bus that replaces a traditional diesel-powered school bus is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 14 tons annually. In addition to the zero tailpipe emissions and quieter ride, the buses also offer lower operating costs through reduced maintenance and stable electrical energy prices.

“We’re excited to be the first in the region to have these buses on the road and we are looking forward to the savings and hopefully adding to our fleet and have a good blend of this in the years to come,” said School Superintendent Dr. Robert Johnson II.

Following the remarks, around 20 Leesville Elementary students joined guests and speakers for a short trip to experience an electric bus ride first-hand.