Electric school buses

The school year is beginning, so the buses will be out in full force. However, you may notice a significant difference this year as emission-free electric school buses roll out across the United States. One of the nation’s leading school bus manufacturers, Thomas Built Buses, just achieved a major milestone with help from its Virginia-based dealer Sonny Merryman — Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley electric school buses have now driven more than 500,000 miles.

Sitting at the bus stop, breathing toxic exhaust fumes may be a thing of the past as soon as electric school buses roll out in several districts around the US. But the pace is not moving as quickly as it should be as many decision-makers are failing to grasp the benefits for students, the school, and the environment.

The power of heavy-duty electric vehicles is on display again in Massachusetts as electric school buses are being used to send much-needed energy back to the grid.

As of this month, US school districts and fleet operators have committed to 12,275 electric school buses in 38 states, according to a new report from the Washington, DC-based nonprofit World Resources Institute (WRI). That’s about the size of the entire school bus fleet of North Carolina.

Colorado Governor Jared Polis has signed into law SB 193, an air-quality bill which among other things creates a $65 million grant program for electric school buses in the state.

US Vice President Kamala Harris and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan are today launching the Clean School Bus program, a part of President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, from a high school in Falls Church, Virginia.

Boston mayor Michelle Wu last week announced that Boston Public Schools will deploy 20 electric buses during the 2022-23 school year in a pilot program. Ultimately, Boston will electrify its entire school bus fleet by 2030.

In January, Governor Kathy Hochul (D-NY) said she would propose legislation to shift to 100% electric school buses by 2035. She also said she would propose legislation to require that all new school bus purchases will be zero-emissions by 2027. That legislation is now about to become law.

The governor of Nevada, Steve Sisolak (D-NV), signed a multi-state agreement yesterday that pledges at least 30% of all new trucks and buses sold will be zero emission by 2030, and 100% will be zero emission by 2050.

Macon, Georgia-based bus maker Blue Bird Corporation (Nasdaq: BLBD) has received the single largest order of electric school buses from a school district in its history.

Lots of news in the segment of electric school buses this week, as Highland Electric Fleets signed an agreement with Thomas Built Buses to provide lower upfront costs to customers and expedite EV adoption; their letter of intent will put the price of an electric bus at cost parity with the traditional diesel option. On the opposite US coast, InCharge Energy and its partners announced a project in Southern California to deploy 42 electric school buses, calling it the largest fleet in the state.

The Lion Electric Company has launched a new division called LionCapital Solutions. The new division will provide Lion Electric customers with flexible financing as they look to electrify their fleets of medium- to heavy-duty commercial vehicles such as school buses and trucks.

Electrification of school busses and fleets requires a huge upfront cost but lower total cost of ownership over the life of the vehicle. By helping spread out the purchase price of fleets over their lifetimes, Lion is allowing operators to keep in place their current financial structures.

Chinese mobility manufacturer BYD has introduced its new “Type A” electric school bus to transport up to thirty US students at a time. Furthermore, the new zero-emission bus is ADA capable up to 800 lbs and can travel 140 miles on a single charge. What may be most appealing to school districts, however, is the vehicle-to-grid (V2G) capabilities BYD’s Type A school bus will provide.

SEA Electric, an Australian company with US headquarters in Torrance, California, that makes battery electric power systems for commercial vehicles, and Illinois-headquartered Midwest Transit Equipment (MTE), one of the largest school bus dealers in the US, have partnered to update 10,000 school buses in the US Midwest with battery-electric power systems over the next five years.

In October 2020, Electrek reported that the state of Alaska got its very first electric school bus. Here’s how the first and only electric school bus in The Last Frontier is running just over a year later.

The utility company National Grid has leveraged an electric school bus to help meet peak demand for electricity for the first time, in Beverly, Massachusetts. The National Grid supplies electricity to Massachusetts, New York, and Rhode Island.

In today’s Electrek Green Energy Brief (EGEB):

• Canada’s Prince Edward Island buys 35 more Lion electric school buses, reaching 47 total.
• LG Electronics will cut emissions in its major products by 2030.
• UnderstandSolar is a free service that links you to top-rated solar installers in your region for personalized solar estimates. Tesla now offers price matching, so it’s important to shop for the best quotes. Click here to learn more and get your quotes. — *ad.

In today’s Electrek Green Energy Brief (EGEB):

• 68% of Americans support a spend of $20-$25 billion to adopt electric school buses. Let’s adopt more.
• New York State announces $52 million for community solar projects for underserved communities.
• UnderstandSolar is a free service that links you to top-rated solar installers in your region for personalized solar estimates. Tesla now offers price matching, so it’s important to shop for the best quotes. Click here to learn more and get your quotes. — *ad.

BYD (Build Your Dreams) has introduced a fully electric Type D school bus, complete with smart technologies like bi-directional charging and advanced safety features. According to the Chinese automaker, its sleek design “will have students wanting to step onboard.” You know, because kids clamor to get to school each morning when they’re on a cool bus.

Electrified powertrain manufacturer Cummins has delivered what it is calling the first fully operational vehicle-to-grid (V2G) school buses. Even though Lion Electric started testing the same V2G tech years ago. These buses are manufactured by Blue Bird and powered by Cummins to include DC fast charging and V2G capabilities. The two electric school buses are operational in school districts in Peoria, Illinois, about 2.5 hours south of Chicago.

The recently announced investment from the Government of Canada includes zero-emissions public transit and school buses. The full $2.75 billion will be funded over the next five years starting in 2021. The Government of Canada expects the investment to promote jobs and economic recovery in a net-zero emissions future.