Battery-electric school buses, despite a few setbacks, are continuing to be deployed in school districts across the country, the latest being Teaneck, Midland Park, and Ramsey public school districts in New Jersey.
California-based Motiv Electric Trucks, together with these school districts, have announced the introduction of four electric Type B buses boasting Motiv's EPIC 4 platform. The vehicles were then upfitted by Van-Con, which provided the bus bodies. The project was led and coordinated by Climate Change Mitigation Technologies LLC (CCMT).
Like any battery-electric vehicle passenger or commercial, these buses, which are operated by D&M Tours, do not idle and, therefore, eliminate associated noises and vibrations. Above all, they produce zero C02 emissions.
[Related: Cause of latest Lion Electric school bus fire still unknown as inspections continue]
The buses charge overnight at a central depot, so there are no concerns about battery strength and mileage while in service.
D&M Tours says it will replace four aging gasoline-powered buses, reducing fossil fuel use by up to 3,000 gallons and the associated costs each year. Over the 15-year lifespan of the project, Motiv's electric buses are expected to cover 1.13 million miles and eliminate more than 2 million pounds of tailpipe emissions.
Additionally, an Electric School Bus Initiative analysis found that an EV school bus can save the district over $100,000 in overall lifetime fuel and maintenance savings when compared to a conventional diesel-powered bus.
"This is a wonderful representation of our Better Trucks, Better World vision. Replacing aging diesel school buses with clean, electric alternatives represents exactly the kind of meaningful health and environmental progress we're working to accelerate as we expand the presence of our class 4 electric truck platform," said Scott Griffith, CEO of Motiv Electric Trucks. "Students, drivers, and the communities these buses serve will all benefit from the elimination of harmful diesel emissions, while D&M Tours gains the operational advantages and cost savings of electric."
[Related: Workhorse and Motiv merge to form new North American electric medium-duty truck manufacturer]
