Why Do We Need More Electric School Buses in the World?

 Governments all around the world are turning to alternative fuel technologies as a result of rising fuel prices and pollution brought on by hazardous emissions.

Public transportation is increasingly being electrified due to the obvious benefits of electric cars. Due to a perceived high barrier to entry, school buses have been slower to jump on board.

Recent studies have indicated that the various advantages of electric school buses may soon outweigh their high cost.

Here are 10 reasons why advocates for the conversion to e-school buses should include not just governments but also transportation organizations, schools, communities, and individuals:

1. Better Air Quality for Kids:

The majority of us rode on school buses that belched forth tonnes of soot and dangerous fumes for a significant portion of our childhood.

We had no option back then, but today, why should kids go through the same thing?

According to research, school-age children who ride a school bus inhale 5–15 times more particulate matter than their peers who don't, increasing their chance of developing serious lung ailments.

The clean, unpolluted air that kids deserve is provided by an e-school bus, which has zero tailpipe emissions.

2. Reduced Pollution:

Due to the overwhelming number of diesel school buses currently on the road, not only children but also the general public must breathe in the same filthy air.

A switch to zero-emission electric school buses would result in a significant transformation of our cities and neighborhoods, with far-reaching implications on public health and wellbeing.

3. Savings on fuel costs

School buses that switched to CNG and Propane experienced a 10-15% decrease in fuel expenditures, helping to lessen reliance on pricy fossil fuels.

Early adopters of e-school buses, however, reported savings of more than 80%, which is exceptional.

4. Lower O&M Prices

Previously, transportation agencies had to set aside substantial sums of money for maintenance. However, there is no sooty buildup, need for oil changes, or engine problems in one-school buses.

Operators of e-school buses have seen maintenance costs reduced by as much as 75%.

Therefore, operators may be able to recover their capital investment in as little as four years thanks to the savings from fuel and maintenance costs alone.

5. Perfect for school buses:

The catchment area for most schools can currently be covered by the 100–120 mile range of school bus electric batteries.

As a result, school buses may pick up kids in the morning, recharge their batteries, and then pick up kids again in the afternoon.

Additionally, compared to diesel school buses, e-school buses have experienced a considerably larger improvement in mileage in stop-and-go urban situations.

Because they often travel a set route, school buses have higher gas mileage and last longer.

Increased Fuel Efficiency

Compared to diesel buses, electric school buses are four times more energy-efficient.

According to a recent comparison study, e-school buses can get up to 18.8 MPGe while diesel school buses only get 4.8 MPG (Miles per Gallon) (Miles per Gallon equivalent).

Low life-cycle emissions that cause global warming:

The upstream emissions associated with electric vehicles are a topic of continuous discussion.

However, compared to diesel or even natural gas school buses, e-school buses have up to 70% fewer global warming emissions over the course of their full life cycle, according to a study by the Union of Concerned Scientists, USA.

With greener choices like solar panels, on-site batteries, etc., this can be reduced even further.

8. Alternative Income:

The transportation companies/school authorities can really benefit from the extra charge by returning it to the grid at the end of the day because the journey distance of e-school buses is well within the range of the current electric batteries.

According to recent research by the University of Delaware in the US, an e-school bus with V2G (Vehicle to Grid) technology might, on average, bring in an extra $6100 per year.

This might assist in making up for the expensive battery price.

9. Credits for carbon

Today, there is a global interest in carbon credits. Not only do businesses with CSR objectives want to minimize their carbon footprint, but so do colleges, schools, communities, and entire cities.

E-school bus owners and operators can now generate carbon credits by switching from fuel to electricity and resell them to offset the higher fleet purchase price.

10. Lowering the total cost of ownership

In contrast to diesel school buses, which occasionally require extensive overhauls, electric school buses only occasionally require battery replacements.

The design and capacity of electric batteries will only get better as technology progresses, while prices continue to decline due to growing economies of scale. Batteries currently come with a ten-year warranty.

Conclusion:

The future certainly looks bright - and green - for owners of e-school bus fleets!

Reaching a rapid cost of ownership parity for operators of e-school buses is extremely likely thanks to increased technological improvements on the one hand and significant operational savings on the other.

A school bus tracking system, however, can further contribute to increased efficiencies through automatic route optimization, streamlined telematics reporting, driver behavior monitoring, and enhanced fleet operations management.

What do you think about the future of e-school buses?

Please tell us by leaving a comment below.

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