Electric School Bus Provider Receives Largest Order in its History

We’re well on our way to converting not just personal vehicles, but mass transportation, to electric – one of the leaders in electric and low-emission school buses has received its largest single order from a school district yet.

Modesto City Schools in California purchased 30 electric school buses from the Georgia-based Blue Bird Corporation, and while that number might not seem all that impressive, keep in mind how much work even a single bus goes through (and how many students it ferries over the course of a school year).

Those 30 buses, alone, will apparently allow Modest City Schools to convert 50% of its diesel-powered bus fleet to clean energy, and the district claims they’ll save $250,000 a year in fuel costs (though that presumably doesn’t factor in the higher upfront costs of the electric buses).

“The price of diesel fuel continues to skyrocket. Our Sustainability projects are designed to address climate change, reduce air pollution, and lead the next generation of students in learning about a Sustainable lifestyle,” said Tim Zearley, Associate Superintendent of Business Services, Modesto City Schools.

Course, as big as this is, Blue Bird is pretty far from the only electric bus provider in the game (or even the only one making electric school buses).

5 years ago, we reported that EV developer Proterra took an electric (heavy duty Catalyst E2 max) bus for a 1,101.2 mile trip, setting a world record, while Chinese automaker BYD (Build your Dreams) claims their electric school buses can cut fuel costs by up to 60%.

It’s a trend that we should all hope continues, especially in towns where property taxes are closely linked with school budgets (like yours truly).