6/23/22 -Electric Buses Could Soon Transport Students

A coalition of advanced mobility, school transportation, health and environmental experts held a forum to talk about electric school buses.

A board of experts met to focus on the safety and health of kids that ride the bus to and from school . 

Katrina Morris from Michigan’s Association for Pupil Transportation says electric buses can operate like a diesel fueled bus but they have clean emission. Morris says the buses will use electrons stored in a battery to create the energy to drive the bus.

A new round of EPA grants will provide five billion dollars over five years for zero emission school buses.

It is estimated that one school bus equals 44 cars and with some 13,000 electric school buses in the state, that could remove 572,000 cars from the road that are burning fossil fuels.

Electric buses could create a healthier climate, and they could save money in the long run.  Electric school buses are fairly expensive, but after the purchase, school districts will immediately start saving money on fuel and maintenance.

Michigan already has 17 electric school buses being used within seven different districts, and another on their way.