School districts and school bus operators across the nation are rolling out electric buses as part of their sustainability initiatives and cost-saving efforts.
PHOTOS: The Road to Electrifying School Bus Fleets
Montgomery County (Md.) Public Schools is partnering with Highland Electric Transportation to begin converting over 20% of its school bus fleet from diesel to electric over the next four years. The buses will be built by Thomas Built Buses. Shown here is one of the district's diesel buses.
Photo courtesy Montgomery County Public Schools
In November, Oak Harbor (Wash.) Public Schools added its first electric school bus to its fleet after securing a $302,685 VW settlement grant from the Washington Department of Ecology. Shown here is Francis Bagarella, the district’s transportation director, and Cathi Gutierrez, the district's assistant transportation director.
Photo courtesy Oak Harbor Public Schools
New Britain, Connecticut-based bus dealership and transportation company DATTCO Inc. received the state’s first electric school bus this past summer using Volkswagen (VW) settlement funding. The company recently began operating the Collins Type A All-Electric school bus to serve Middletown (Conn.) Public Schools.
Photo courtesy DATTCO
With Ann Arbor (Mich.) Public Schools still operating under virtual learning due to the pandemic, the district has partnered with DTE Energy to use its four Thomas Built Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley electric buses to deliver meals to students. The district currently contracts its school buses with Durham School Services.
Photo courtesy DTE Energy
On Oct. 28, Thomas Built Buses teamed up with its Virginia school bus dealer Sonny Merryman, power company Dominion Energy, and electric vehicle technology supplier Proterra to mark the delivery of the first electric school buses in the state.
Photo courtesy Daimler Trucks North America
Columbus, Indiana-based Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. welcomed one Blue Bird electric bus, along with the corresponding charging infrastructure, in October. The vehicle, purchased using VW funds, is reportedly the state’s first vehicle-to-grid capable bus.
Photo courtesy Blue Bird
Joe Aldridge, superintendent at Columbia (Calif.) Union School District, posed in front of one of the district's two new Blue Bird electric buses after they were delivered by A-Z Bus Sales in early October. The buses were delivered as part of California’s school bus replacement plan using VW funds.
Photo courtesy A-Z Bus Sales