First Electric School Bus Hits The Road In California
By Andrew Breiner. PHOTO CREDIT: Trans Tech/Motiv Power Systems The first-ever electric school bus, introduced in November, started picking up students in Central California’s Kings Canyon Unified school district this week. And three more should be operating soon, according to a press release from developers Trans Tech and Motiv Power Systems. The California Air Resources Board was a major factor in getting the first two electric buses on the road, contributing $400,000 to the pilot program in the form of cost-offsetting vouchers. Similar programs in Chicago and New York could contribute to the availability of electric buses there as well. A federal highway program supplied the funding for the third and fourth buses currently on their way. While the electric buses cost around twice as much as similar gas buses, Jim Castelaz, founder and CEO of Motiv Power Systems, said that was balanced by fuel and maintenance costs. It costs “1/8 as much to fuel and 1/3 as much to maintain,” he sa