Students in the Town of Cohasset will get emissions-free rides to school for the first time thanks to a multi-year agreement between the town and Enel North America, which will provide turnkey electric school bus services.

A Town in Electric Transportation Transition

Under the agreement, Cohasset will receive comprehensive service, including use of a Blue Bird electric bus, Enel X Way JuicePump charging station, and JuiceNet charging management software, training, technical support, and the electricity to power the bus. The bus is expected to become operational in 2024.

“Clean electrification should be simple, especially when it’s important for children’s health and well-being,” said Joel Obillo, head of sales and marketing for Enel North America. "Transitioning to electric school buses helps avoid students’ exposure to pollutants from exhaust pipes—but it doesn’t need to be complicated or expensive. We’re excited to support the Town of Cohasset in their sustainability journey through simplifying the complexity of bus electrification.”

“This is a great opportunity for our town to be part of the movement to decarbonize transportation,” said Alternative Energy Committee Chair Tanya Bodell. “It truly takes a village to raise our children, as well as to bring an exciting opportunity like this to fruition.”

“With the addition of this electric school bus to the School Department’s fleet, Cohasset continues its efforts to improve the local and regional environment,” said Town Manager Christopher Senior.  “Having already added sixteen electric charging stations and three electric vehicles over the past several years, this new bus represents the next big step in Cohasset’s work to be a healthier, more sustainable community.”

“We are thrilled and thankful to partner with Enel, the Cohasset Alternative Energy Committee, and the Town of Cohasset, to establish Cohasset’s first electric school bus,” said Superintendent Dr. Patrick Sullivan. “We also deeply value the learning experience that this venture establishes for Cohasset students, as we look to inspire creative problem-solving to identify energy efficient solutions to modern day needs.”

The Road Ahead for the EV School Fleet

The electric bus, one of nine buses in Cohasset’s fleet, can seat up to 77 students for the average Cohasset bus route of 40 miles per school day. Enel plans to provide a Level 3 JuicePump 50kW station for fast and efficient charging, while utilizing its electric vehicle (EV) charging asset management software JuiceNet, a cloud-based platform for control and optimization of EV charging.

Adoption of electric school buses is growing across the U.S. as school districts move to mitigate fuel cost risks, reduce polluting emissions from vehicles, and take advantage of bus electrification funds from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).

Enel’s e-Bus-as-a-service model is supported by a grant from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC). Enel leveraged the company’s global experience in energy services and electric public transportation through its Enel X business line, with more than 6,000 electric buses served worldwide, to launch the e-Bus as-a-service model in the US.