Student Transportation of America (STA) has launched a new electric vehicle pilot program and appointed Ronald Halley, vice president of fleet and facilities, to head it up.

Halley will oversee the new program's rollout, partnerships, and data collection, STA said in a news release. The school bus company plans to introduce electric buses this summer in select markets on the East and West coasts.

As part of the program, Halley’s team will track battery life, monitor component life, and collect other data as STA looks for actionable intelligence into the performance of electric vehicles in distinct operating environments.

“The nationwide reach of STA puts us in position to launch electric vehicles in strategically selected neighborhoods, all of which have vastly different traffic and weather patterns that could affect overall performance," Halley said. "What we learn we can apply toward the future. This is the next phase of a long-term commitment that will benefit our passengers and our planet.”

Halley added that the company will announce the first locations in the coming months.

To date, STA has replaced more than 2,000 of its diesel-powered school buses with alternative-fuel vehicles. 

“The electric vehicle pilot program is a natural progression of our good work in propane and lower-emission alternatives,” Halley said. "I look forward to working with my team and local leadership, as well as infrastructure suppliers and manufacturers, as STA moves even further into eco-conscious student transportation."

Halley was previously director of assets at Harsco Metals and Minerals and a senior manager at FedEx Ground. He started his career as a package handler at UPS. Halley graduated from Lincoln Technical Institute in Indianapolis, Indiana, and holds a degree in Automotive and Diesel Technology.