Kids throughout the Four States have returned or are returning to school for the 2023-2024 academic year and many of them take buses.
Students in one Northeast Oklahoma district this year are riding quieter buses, cleaner, and have more power.
KRPS’s Fred Fletcher-Fierro has more.
Electric vehicles receive plenty of attention, both positive and negative. Some drivers love the quiet, smooth rides of EVs, while others enjoy charging their vehicles at home and never visiting a gas station again.
While others lament the lack of range, slow charging times, and cost. Recently the Grove School District received 13 all-electric school buses with the help of a 5.1 million dollar grant from the EPA.
The new buses have a range of 125 miles, great for trips around town, can be fully charged in between three and eight hours, and can seat up to 71 passengers. Will Hamilton, transportation director for Grove School says EV buses could save the district a significant amount of money.
“We’re looking at a cost saving of over $100,000 just in fuel alone. That doesn’t include the DEFT. We’re looking to saving a box to two boxes of DEFT a week. In every school bus, we’re running ten routes right now. So if you’re looking at box a week, per bus, two boxes a week at $15 apiece for DEFT alone.”
The starting price of an EV bus is $320,000 compared to a diesel bus at about $100,000.
