How Electric Buses Benefit Students, Schools and Communities
There are around 480,000 yellow school buses on American roads, diligently transporting 26 million children to and from school each day. Each bus travels an average of 12,000 miles per year, with the nation’s fleet racking up nearly 6 billion miles annually. But, more than 95% of those buses run on diesel fuel, and all those miles put nearly 8 megatons of greenhouse gas emissions into the air.
As school districts work to address their carbon emissions, the electrification of school buses is a top priority for many. Electric buses provide benefits to students, schools, and the community at large. Here’s how.
Benefits for students
Diesel fuel emissions have been shown to cause and exacerbate respiratory issues such as asthma and bronchitis, especially in children. The fumes are also associated with headaches, nausea, behavioral issues, and reduced cognitive performance. All this can lead to missed school days and ultimately lower test scores.
Eliminating exposure to diesel fumes can improve both health and education outcomes for students, including those in lower income communities that are often disproportionately impacted by pollution-related illnesses.
Benefits for schools
Budget strapped school districts will find that electric buses not only improve student outcomes but provide financial benefits as well. While the upfront investment costs are higher for electric buses than they are for traditional diesel models, the ongoing maintenance and operations costs are considerably lower.
E-buses don’t have as many moving parts as a diesel bus, eliminating the need for oil and engine air filter changes, transmission maintenance, and more. Depending on labor costs, electric rates, and the price of diesel fuel and oil, a district could save between $4,000 and $11,000 per bus each year.
Benefits for communities
Electric school buses promise to deliver health benefits to the broader community, as well as the students and drivers. Diesel engines emit more nitrogen oxides at slower speeds – that means a school bus emits more harmful pollutants traveling through your neighborhood than it does on city streets or highways. One study found that replacing a single diesel powered bus with an electric model has the potential to reduce health care costs by about $150,000 per year.
Electric school bus fleets can also improve the reliability of the electric grid through vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology that allows power to flow bidirectionally — both to the customer from the grid, and to the grid from the customer.
By some estimates, school buses are parked for over 75% of the year. With V2G, a district’s bus fleet can be transformed into a massive battery bank that the utility can call on to support the grid. One pilot project showed that two electric school buses could send enough power to the grid to power nearly 600 homes.
By making the switch to electric school buses, school districts can bring many benefits to its students, its community and beyond. Encourage your school district to apply for Clean School Bus Program Rebates through the Environmental Protection Agency today!