electric school buses. He said OEMs can provide them the electric buses across their entire operational footprint in North America. “The issue really pertains to what utili- ties have to [offer] in any given state and programs that allow us to take advantage of resources and incentives to reduce deployment cost in those geographies,” he said. Matthews added that First Student’s current strategy is to continue to work with school district partners to identify resources that can be used to assist with the transition to electric. That could be through grants and incentives or partnerships with utilities to address the near-term higher costs associated with electrification. “We believe over time, the cost of both buses and infrastructure will begin to decline as well as we’ll see operational efficiencies that will lead to our ability to de- ploy more electric school buses across the country with less or no grants and incentives,” he added. Ely said Voight in Minnesota has been committed to sustainability for its entire 76-year-lifespan. “Providing multiple rider-unit groups in one vehicle and reduc- ing overall carbon footprint by reducing the number of
vehicles on the road has been a bedrock of our business since 1947,” he said. “For the past several years, we have been converting to a propane fleet, and that will continue as the propane market continues to have proven range, affordability, reliability and support. As the EV market continues to develop and find its legs, we will continue our progress towards what an EV future looks like.” He noted that through the propane conversion, staff
has recorded a dramatic reduction in emissions and maintenance costs despite high-cost increases, and the lifespan of the vehicles and road reliability continue to deliver the highest quality of service at the best costs to the districts served. Meanwhile, Durham School Services, which operates 20,000 vehicles, 2,700 of which are alternative fuels, is committing to an entire fleet of zero-tailpipe emissions by 2035. Nick Voisard, the senior director of electric ve- hicles in North America for Durham’s parent company National Express, noted the company currently operates diesel, gasoline, propane, CNG and electric vehicles across 34 states and three provinces.
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