Several state, public and private agencies are overseeing EV adoption in Virginia, including at least a thousand new electric school buses funded over the next five years. Pictured is a new public fast- charging station that is part of a statewide network.
potential of an applied learning laboratory for students in kindergarten through grade 12. “School buses plying the roadways of a school district will demonstrate the feasibility of vehicle electrification,” he said. “Every day, an electric school bus will demonstrate its environmen- tal, economic, health, operational, and social value to schoolchildren, parents and the community. By the time this year’s kindergarteners graduate in 2032, more than 25 percent of the vehicles on the road will be powered by electricity.”
Cost Conscious Yet Moving Forward The Lion Electric Company has more than 200 of its
electric buses currently in service across North America. Patrick Gervais, vice president of marketing communi- cations, said the company is encountering more fleet managers who are understanding the savings to be re- alized in lower fuel and maintenance costs of EVs. That’s in addition to the clean-air environment that is afforded to students, bus drivers and communities. These and other savings from increased reliability
and reduced maintenance are making electric buses a more attractive option when a district seeks a replacement bus. Gervais spoke about California’s funding support for
electric vehicles, and its robust charging infrastruc- ture as key reasons why the state is out front in placing electric school buses on routes. Gervais said he expects wider adoption to take hold in about six years, when more buses will be replaced. As more electric buses are sold, he said the market
should benefit from supply-and-demand forces that could produce more competitive pricing and prove the technology is a more economical choice over legacy
40 School Transportation News • NOVEMBER 2019
power systems. He also pointed out that the lithium- ion batteries—one of the largest drivers of electric bus component costs—will likely be more affordable by then. As reported in the September edition of School Transportation News, battery costs have fallen by 85 percent in the past decade. “Many of the barriers to EV adoption are coming down,”
added Edgerly at Thomas Bus. “Funding is popping up in vouchers and grants, vehicle range is improving, battery costs are declining, and the vehicles are being proven in real-world applications. We anticipate that the upward trend of EV adoption in the pupil transportation indus- try will only continue to rise. And the reason is that EV technology is perfectly suited for the school bus market, more so than for any other application.” Calling battery-electric school buses the future of pupil transportation, he said the company expects the cost reductions and technology advancements to pave the road for a cleaner, more sustainable future. Edgerly concluded, “As funding increases and tech-
nology advances at a rapid pace, the use case for electrification in pupil transportation will only get stronger. We are excited and proud to be part of such a revolutionary change in our industry.” ●
Ryan Gray contributed to this report.
Read more about new electric school bus adoption at
stnonline.com/go/ev and
stnonline.com/green-bus-resources/ #alt-fuel.
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