Blue Bird has delivered 23 electric school buses to Carter County Schools in Kentucky, thanks to an EPA-backed grant and rebate program promoting clean school transportation in the United States.
The company’s new Vision zero-emissions buses feature extended range, fast battery charging, and increased seating capacity compared to its earlier electric bus models -- the bus has a range of 130 miles on one three-hour charge. According to school officials, the buses also require less maintenance, have lower operating costs, and are quieter than diesel-powered models. Carter County Schools operates 75 vehicles and drives more 3,600 miles a day, and the new buses will significantly cut the district's emissions in addition to these benefits.
“We are thrilled to deploy our very first electric school buses to lower the emissions of our school bus fleet,” said Dr. Paul Green, superintendent of Carter County Schools. “Clean student transportation is one of our top priorities. Blue Bird’s most advanced, zero-emission school buses will help us to create a healthier environment for our students and our communities at large.”
Many parents have expressed concern about the polluting effects and health hazards of diesel-powered school buses, prompting many school districts to explore electric alternatives. As demand for electric buses increases, Blue Bird has recently announced a joint venture with Generate Capital to provide electrification-as-a-service offerings, allowing schools to pay an affordable monthly fee to use electric buses and chargers.
As one of many school districts benefiting from the EPA's 2022 Bus Rebate Program, CCS received a grant totaling nearly $9.1 million to purchase the electric bus fleet. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is to provide $5 billion over five years towards clean school bus transport, and the EPA awarded nearly $1 billion to school districts across the U.S. last year.
Currently, the U.S. has about 6,000 electric school buses operating across 914 school districts.
Blue Bird also recently opened a new facility allowing for up to 5,000 electric school buses to be produced annually in the next few years. In addition to the emissions-reducing potential of the electric buses, the EPA explains that they may also be used as a backup power source by using vehicle-to-grid technologies.
The EPA expects to award at least $500 million in funding through its rebate program this year and is currently accepting applications until the end of the month.
