The wheels on two new school buses will go ‘round and ‘round on the streets of South Bend, Ind. – powered by electricity. Recently, the South Bend School Corporation unveiled the two electric school buses after securing grants from the state of Indiana and Indiana Michigan Power (I&M).
The new school buses make the South Bend district among the first in northern Indiana to receive electric school buses. Each vehicle can carry 72 students to and from school and can run 138 miles on a two-to-three-hour charge. But, there are more benefits.
“These new electric school buses eliminate tailpipe emissions and will help the School District reduce diesel fuel and bus maintenance costs while improve air quality for students,” said William Tokash, Manager, Clean Energy Solutions for I&M. “With electric school buses, the South Bend School Corporation will reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and children’s exposure to diesel exhaust will be lowered.”
The buses are quieter and less expensive to maintain because their motors have fewer moving parts than internal combustion engines, and electricity is a far less-expensive fuel than gasoline or diesel. According to South Bend school officials, the vehicles will reduce 30,000 gallons of fuel over the life-span of the buses, which is 10-12 years.
"We're proud to take the lead on this important transition to clean energy on our routes," said Dr. Todd Cummings, Superintendent of South Bend Schools. "These buses signify our commitment to environmental responsibility and the future of our students, and we're thankful for the generous support provided by our partners at IMP, through which we've been able to adopt them into our fleet, raising our standards for efficient and sustainable transportation."
This isn’t the first venture for I&M when it comes to electric school buses. In 2019, Three Rivers Community Schools debuted two electric school buses. Thanks to the Infrastructure Investment and Job Acts, over $54 million has been awarded for electric school buses in Michigan and just over $5 million in Indiana by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
“We are excited to be a part of the evolution of electric transportation, and are ready to support our local school district customers on charging options once they secure funding to electrify their bus fleet,” Tokash said. “These buses are often the first electric vehicles students and school staff have driven or taken a ride in. We’re committed to working with schools as they deploy the buses and giving them a sense of pride knowing the buses make a difference.”
If you are interested in learning more please visit our electric vehicles webpage. For more information on electric school buses, please reach out to William Tokash, Manager of Clean Energy Solutions, at wjtokash@aep.com.