The school bus is equipped with vehicle-to-grid technology and can be used as a power reserve when not transporting students.

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BYD launched an electric school bus in the US on January 26 that can be used as an energy storage device in addition to transportation.

The Type A all-electric school bus can carry up to 30 students and has a range of up to 225 kilometers on a single charge, BYD said today.

The bus comes in three lengths of 22.9, 24.5 and 26.7 feet and is equipped with a high-safety lithium iron phosphate battery and a high-strength steel body, according to BYD.

BYD offers two charging solutions for this new school bus, including a 150 kW DC charging solution, and a 19.2 kW single-phase AC charging solution.

BYD's battery-electric technology reduces fuel costs by 60 percent and maintenance costs by 60 percent compared to fuel school buses, the company said.

The school bus is equipped with vehicle-to-grid technology and can serve as a power reserve unit when not transporting students, the company said.

"Just like our Type D bus introduced last year, our Type A bus bi-directional charging capability is a game changer," said Samuel Kang, BYD's Head of Total Technology Solutions.

"The school buses can be charged overnight when energy demand is low, and clean emission free energy can be fed back into the classroom during school hours when the bus is parked keeping classrooms well-lit and students and teachers plugged-in," Kang said.