A green deal: VUSD receives first allelectric school bus
With green solutions and ultimately cost- savings in mind, Vacaville Unified School District leaders ordered and received the first of three electric buses from Lion Electric on Nov. 20. The other two are expected to be delivered during summer of 2021, district officials announced Monday.
Each yellow electric bus will replace an older, fossil fuel-burning diesel bus in the fleet. The goal is to obtain 10 electric buses in the next five years, Elaine Kong, the district’s spokeswoman noted in a press release.
The district’s purchase comes as bus manufacturers nationwide, including Blue Bird, are beginning to see increased demand for EV school buses, especially in California, a the nation’s most populous state and a huge market for them. The Twin Rivers School District in Sacramento uses 25 electric school buses built by Lion and is thought to be the largest such fleet in the country.
“The clean transportation revolution is not a distant dream — it’s happening throughout California right now, and to be the first school district in Solano County shows the effort our district is putting towards being a community leader for our planet,” Assistant Superintendent Kelly Burks said in a prepared statement. “Seeing the first zero- emission bus picking up and dropping off students will bring us one step closer to cleaner air and ultimately a healthier community.”
Nate Baguio, vice president of sales for Lion Electric, USA, a Sacramentobased firm, expressed similar thoughts but added, “Electrifying their fleet will allow Vacaville USD to save on maintenance and energy costs, and ultimately put more money back into their classrooms. We look forward to seeing the buses in service and are confident it will mark a positive change for the community.”
The district’ spurchase of the electric bus and plans for more drew praise from Northern California air- quality officials, too, including Eric Guerra, chair of the Sac Metro Air District.
“By replacing an old, polluting school bus with an all- electric, zero- emission bus, diesel exhaust, toxic air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions are reduced,” he said. “This greatly benefits our students, and those living and working along the bus route.”
Lion Electric designs, builds and assembles all its vehicles’ components, including chassis, battery packs, truck cabins and bus bodies. The company has more than 300 vehicles on the road today, with six million all- electric miles driven, and the capacity to produce up to 2,500 vehicles per year in its manufacturing facility.
Among the Lion bus features: Each 39.6-foot bus seats 48 students, plus three wheelchairs. Each is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and has a wheelchair lift. A single charge allows for a 100-mile range.
The district’s purchase of the electric bus and plans for more drew praise from Northern California air- quality officials, too, including Eric Guerra, chair of the Sac Metro Air District.
In addition, the bus offers reduced noise pollution for residents and businesses, and a quieter, more relaxing ride for students, noted Kong, adding that music starts playing once the electric bus slows to a certain speed.
“This helps alert everyone around, including pedestrians, to look out for students loading and unloading the electric bus,” she added in the statement.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the district postponed the in-person announcement about the electric bus, Kong said.