Canadian District Rolls Out 2 Electric School Buses

Sooke School District 62 (SD62) in British Columbia, Canada, recently added two new electric CE Series school buses from IC Bus to its fleet.

SD62 is one of 31 school districts in the province that received $13 million in funding from the Ministry of Education to purchase a total of 101 new school buses, including 18 electric buses, according to a news release from the district.

As School Bus Fleet previously reported, in early May, IC Bus delivered its first electric CE Series buses to school districts in British Columbia. The delivery was part of an order from IC Bus dealer Western Canada Bus for a total of 18 Type C electric buses to be operated by 13 of the province’s school districts, including SD62.

“We are making history and we’re incredibly proud to be piloting electric buses,” said Tracey Syrota, SD62’s manager of transportation, in the district’s news release. “It’s inspiring to see that we are moving towards a direction of transporting students and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It’s a great example of technology for our students and the general public while making a positive shift towards a sustainable future.”

Based on calculations from U.S. data from 2018, Syrota told CBC News that she expects to see a 40% decrease in maintenance costs, in addition to considerable fuel savings, as diesel costs about $175 for a 550-kilometer (341-mile) trip, whereas charging an electric bus costs about $50 in electricity.

In May, when SD62 received its electric school buses, the district said in its news release that one of the buses was being used to operate three runs each school day for students in elementary and secondary schools on the Westshore, while the second bus was expected to be operational by mid-May.

SD62 currently transports more than more than 4,000 students with a fleet of 45 school buses, which Syrota told CBC News that she hopes will become fully electric over time.