First Electric School Bus Hits the Road in Maine

The Lion Electric Co. supplied Maine’s first electric school bus, which recently joined the fleet at Bar Harbor’s Mount Desert Island High School.

“This is great,” said Patrick Gervais, vice president of marketing and communications for The Lion Electric Co. “Lion is very proud to have been chosen by Mount Desert Island High School to be part of the first deployment of an electric school bus in Maine.”

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According to News Center Maine, bus driver Doug Van Gorder urged school officials to get the electric bus as a means of saving $5,000 a year in fuel costs. However, the average price for an electric school bus – about $350,000 – would’ve been prohibitive in the current budget climate.

Luckily, though, Mount Desert Island High School had access to a Volkswagen Emissions Fraud Settlement Grant worth $280,000 toward school-based green initiatives. The school district covered the remainder of the purchase price.

The school expects to celebrate with an official ceremony on Oct. 12.