Freightliner conceptos & prototipos

The first prototype was built in 2008 and underwent evaluation. It was displayed at the 2008 School Transportation News School Bus EXPO in Reno, Nevada and the National Association for Pupil Transportation Conference and Trade Show in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The 2008 prototype used a Mercedes-Benz diesel engine and an Eaton parallel hybrid system.

Thomas' first fully-electric bus was launched at the 2017 National Association for Pupil Transportation Conference and Trade Show in Columbus, Ohio. The pre-production C2 Jouley was equipped with the PowerDrive™ 7000ev powertrain from Efficient Drivetrains, Inc., which provided 100-160kWh of battery energy and a range of up to 100 miles. With a standard J1772 charger, the bus could be fully charged in approximately eight hours (nominal charge of four to six hours). Integrated exportable power enabled the transfer of stored energy onboard the bus back into the electrical grid.