Joint Ventures	9 Months Ended
Jun. 28, 2025
Equity Method Investments and Joint Ventures [Abstract]
Joint Ventures	12. Equity Investment in Affiliates The Company has made investments in the below entities and utilizes the equity method of accounting to record its interest in them as it does not have control to direct the activities that most significantly impact their financial performance based on the shared powers of the venture partners. The carrying amount of the equity method investments is adjusted for any contribution that the Company makes to them as well as for the Company’s proportionate share of net earnings or losses and any dividends received. Micro Bird Holdings, Inc. The Company holds a 50% equity interest in Micro Bird Holdings, Inc. ("Micro Bird"), our unconsolidated Canadian joint venture that produces Blue Bird Micro Bird by Girardin Type A buses in Drummondville, Quebec. In recognizing the Company’s 50% portion of Micro Bird's net income or loss, the Company recorded equity in net (loss) income of non-consolidated affiliates on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations totaling approximately zero and $2.8 million for the three months ended June 28, 2025 and June 29, 2024, respectively, and $4.1 million and $6.7 million for the nine months ended June 28, 2025 and June 29, 2024, respectively. In December 2023, Micro Bird paid dividends to all common stockholders, with the Company's proportionate share totaling $3.0 million, gross of required withholding taxes. The dividend was recorded as a reduction in the balance of equity investment in affiliates on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets and is presented as a cash inflow in the operating section of the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. No dividends were paid in the nine months ended June 28, 2025. At June 28, 2025 and September 28, 2024, the carrying value of the Company's investment in Micro Bird included within equity investment in affiliates on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets was $28.5 million and $24.4 million, respectively. Clean Bus Solutions, LLC The Company holds a 50% equity interest in Clean Bus Solutions, LLC ("CBS"), our unconsolidated joint venture that provides a fleet-as-a-service ("FaaS") offering using electric school buses manufactured and sold by the Company. The service is offered to qualified customers of the Company by providing them with turnkey electrification solutions, including a wide product range consisting of, among others, electric school buses, financing of electric buses and supporting charging infrastructure, project planning and management, and fleet optimization. During the three and nine months ended June 28, 2025, the Company made $0.4 million and $0.9 million of cash contributions to CBS, respectively, and during the nine months ended June 29, 2024, the Company recorded the $7.4 million fair value of warrants it issued to the joint venture partner as its initial investment in CBS, both of which increased the balance of equity investment in affiliates on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. In recognizing the Company’s 50% portion of CBS' net income or loss, the Company recorded $(0.4) million and $(1.1) million in equity in net (loss) income of non-consolidated affiliates on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations for the three and nine months ended June 28, 2025, respectively, while no amount was recorded in the nine months ended June 29, 2024. CBS paid no dividends in any period. At June 28, 2025 and September 28, 2024, the carrying value of the Company's investment in CBS included within equity investment in affiliates on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets was $7.4 million and $7.7 million, respectively.

The Company has made investments in the below entities and utilizes the equity method of accounting to record its interest in them as it does not have control to direct the activities that most significantly impact their financial performance based on the shared powers of the venture partners. The carrying amount of the equity method investments is adjusted for any contribution that the Company makes to them as well as for the Company’s proportionate share of net earnings or losses and any dividends received.

The Company holds a 50% equity interest in Micro Bird Holdings, Inc. ("Micro Bird"), our unconsolidated Canadian joint venture that produces Blue Bird Micro Bird by Girardin Type A buses in Drummondville, Quebec.

In recognizing the Company’s 50% portion of Micro Bird's net income or loss, the Company recorded equity in net (loss) income of non-consolidated affiliates on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations totaling approximately zero and $2.8 million for

the three months ended June 28, 2025 and June 29, 2024, respectively, and $4.1 million and $6.7 million for the nine months ended June 28, 2025 and June 29, 2024, respectively.

In December 2023, Micro Bird paid dividends to all common stockholders, with the Company's proportionate share totaling $3.0 million, gross of required withholding taxes. The dividend was recorded as a reduction in the balance of equity investment in affiliates on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets and is presented as a cash inflow in the operating section of the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. No dividends were paid in the nine months ended June 28, 2025.

At June 28, 2025 and September 28, 2024, the carrying value of the Company's investment in Micro Bird included within equity investment in affiliates on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets was $28.5 million and $24.4 million, respectively.

The Company holds a 50% equity interest in Clean Bus Solutions, LLC ("CBS"), our unconsolidated joint venture that provides a fleet-as-a-service ("FaaS") offering using electric school buses manufactured and sold by the Company. The service is offered to qualified customers of the Company by providing them with turnkey electrification solutions, including a wide product range consisting of, among others, electric school buses, financing of electric buses and supporting charging infrastructure, project planning and management, and fleet optimization.

During the three and nine months ended June 28, 2025, the Company made $0.4 million and $0.9 million of cash contributions to CBS, respectively, and during the nine months ended June 29, 2024, the Company recorded the $7.4 million fair value of warrants it issued to the joint venture partner as its initial investment in CBS, both of which increased the balance of equity investment in affiliates on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.

In recognizing the Company’s 50% portion of CBS' net income or loss, the Company recorded $(0.4) million and $(1.1) million in equity in net (loss) income of non-consolidated affiliates on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations for the three and nine months ended June 28, 2025, respectively, while no amount was recorded in the nine months ended June 29, 2024. CBS paid no dividends in any period.

At June 28, 2025 and September 28, 2024, the carrying value of the Company's investment in CBS included within equity investment in affiliates on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets was $7.4 million and $7.7 million, respectively.