The Wheels on the Bus Go … Electric!

By Chelsea Taylor

The EV bus makes less noise and in my opinion is better to ride.  –Asiana, 7th grade

I think it’s really cool and good for the environment. –Soukay, 8th grade

The bus feels nicer, the quiet is peaceful. –Abigail, 12th grade

Whether you’re a student or a parent, a teacher or community member, or like us, you just want to breathe clean air and make a difference in the fight against climate change, speak up. Use your voice and tell your school administrators to start the transition to an electric fleet of school buses now. –Xin Ngo and Adrienne Silvestris (former students at Wallkill Senior High School) and Anabella Pathania (former student at Kingston High School)

As summer fades into fall and millions of kids head back to school, it’s the perfect time to discuss how they’ll get there. In a typical school year, more than 20 million students ride school buses every day, taking more than 7 billion combined trips. So when those buses burn diesel fuel, every trip can expose students and their communities to harmful exhaust. 

Electric school buses offer a cleaner alternative, as they don’t produce any tailpipe emissions, which helps reduce students’ exposure to air pollution associated with asthma and other health risks. Cleaner air can also mean fewer asthma-related absences, helping students spend more time where they belong: in the classroom. 

And the benefits don’t stop with just clean air. Electric school buses are significantly quieter than traditional diesel buses, creating a calmer ride and making it easier for drivers and staff to communicate with students. With some school buses able to travel 200 miles on a single charge, they can handle every route needed.

Also, the impact adds up quickly. Switching to an electric school bus can generate up to $247,600 in climate and health benefits per bus, and electrifying New York’s entire school bus fleet could have an emissions impact of removing nearly 180,000 cars from the road.

It can be good for the bottom line, too. “Besides the savings on fuel, we’ve spent nothing on oil changes or filter replacements,” wrote Matt Berlin, CEO of the NYC School Bus Umbrella Services (NYCSBUS), in a Times-Union op-ed. “With fewer moving parts and fluids, it’s likely that we are seeing the future: Engines designed in the 21st century have significantly lower maintenance costs than those designed half a century ago.”

Berlin added, “So whether you’re running a large fleet or just getting started, my advice is simple: Try it. Get a few buses on the road, learn what works and build from there.”

This summer, dozens of students, community members, and elected officials gathered at the NYCSBUS Zerega Bus Depot in The Bronx to unveil a community mural and celebrate electric school buses coming to one of the most asthma-plagued neighborhoods in the country.

“A lot of people hear about electric school buses and think it’s something happening somewhere else,” said Juan Torres, Community Engagement Manager for NYLCVEF, at the event. “New Yorkers need to bring that conversation home and into their communities – and connect it to what matters most: kids’ health.”

So, as backpacks get packed and pencils get sharpened for another school year, maybe our transportation deserves an upgrade too.

Click here to show your support for electric school buses.