First High School to use e-bus in education
Sam Eyde VGS in Agder, Norway celebrates 50 years of professional driver education and is also the first high school to use a battery-electric bus for bus driver education.
On October 20, 1975, a new vocational path through upper secondary education was established. Blakstad Videregående Skole in Froland, together with a few other schools, started a national line for professional driver education in Norway. On the day 50 years later, there was a big anniversary party in the relatively new premises at Sam Eyde VGS in Arendal. Former teachers, students and politicians were invited to a surprise that is environmentally friendly.
Sam Eyde VGS has worked for several years to modernize its vehicle fleet and at the same time meet environmental emission requirements. Together with knowledgeable teachers and advice from external sources, the school has developed a completely unique bus for their driver education. A bus of which there is only one in the world to date.
Sam Eyde VGS is the first in Norway and among the first in the world to use a battery-electric class three bus in their driver education. The bus is supplied by Eurobus Nordic and is of the Golden Dragon brand. The bus is equipped with a unique driver’s instructor position where the instructor has a complete dashboard where he or she can see exactly what the student can see in their instruments. In addition, there is a pedal set if someone needs to intervene while driving.
“Vocational training is important and this driver training here at Sam Eyde VGS is extremely important for the country to move forward. We need drivers and we need good three-party cooperation with the Truck Owners’ Ban and the stakeholders to stand strong together”, says County Mayor Arne Thomassen in Agder County.
“If you take this vocational driver training, you are guaranteed a job”, adds Thomassen. He himself has extensive experience as a business owner in a company where they had several trucks.
County Mayor Thomassen himself got to test drive the new bus and was clear that he would like to drive a bus when he one day retires from his political career.
The bus, a Golden Dragon Triumph E12, is a 12.3-meter touring bus with two axles. The bus has a range of around 350 kilometers. The bus is equipped with 12 battery packs from CATL with a total of 422 kW/h. The electric motor comes from Dana and produces 370 kW and with a torque of 3000 Nm. The bus for Sam Eyde VGS has an electronically reduced power, so that it starts with much lower torque up to around 40 kilometers per hour. This is to save energy and wear. In addition, it provides a soft and comfortable start.
Facts:
Professional driver training on a national line is an offer in high school that gives you free training and driving lessons to get a driver’s license for heavy vehicles in driver’s license classes C and D. National line means that you can apply regardless of your place of residence and that the school offers a complete program that gives you professional driver competence after approx. 19 weeks. This is a vocational path to a job as a truck or bus driver.
