California District Adds Electric School Buses

A California district recently added four new electric school buses to its fleet.

Anaheim Elementary School District (AESD) unveiled the first four of eight electric school buses from The Lion Electric Co. during a ceremony at the district’s transportation depot on July 16, according to a news release from AESD. The remaining buses are reportedly expected to be delivered to the district by this fall.

The electric buses were purchased using a grant from the California Energy Commission’s (CEC’s) School Bus Replacement Program, which aims to replace the state’s diesel school buses with electric models.

“We’re excited to roll out these new green buses as part of our fleet,” said Dr. Christopher Downing, AESD’s superintendent, in the district’s news release. “We know the importance of being good stewards of the environment, and these buses will significantly reduce our carbon footprint in our city one mile at a time.”

Currently, 45 of AESD’s 90 buses run on diesel fuel. The district added in the release that it hopes to continue working with the state and the CEC to replace more of its diesel-powered buses with electric ones.

“Making the transition to electric school buses that don’t emit pollution provides children and their communities with cleaner air and numerous public health benefits,” said Patty Monahan, CEC commissioner. “The Energy Commission is proud to support this transition to protect the health of children throughout the state, something that will help all Californians breathe easier.”

The electric bus program is reportedly one piece of AESD’s larger green initiatives, according to the district. AESD recently collaborated with the city of Anaheim and its “Solar for Schools Program” to install solar panels at two of its schools. The district currently serves nearly 16,000 students at 24 campuses.

View more photos of AESD's electric buses, posted on the district's Twitter page, below.

Our new Electric Busses are funded by California Energy Commission School Bus Replacement Program. Today they are making their maiden voyage. #CADrivesClean #Prop39 pic.twitter.com/2Q5bgF0YAH

— Anaheim Elementary (@AnaheimElem) July 16, 2021