OCPS Rolls Out Florida’s First Electric School Buses
By Sandra Carr
Orange County Public Schools is going greener by beginning to transport students to and from school in electric school buses, thanks to a $2 million Florida Department of Environmental Protection grant.
“We are taking the next step to reduce the overall carbon footprint of our Transportation Services department,” said Orange County Public Schools Superintendent Maria Vazquez. “This also shows our commitment to a greener, healthier world for all of our children.”
OCPS, the first school district in Florida to put electric buses on the road with students, used the grant funds to purchase six electric buses, three each from manufacturers Thomas Built Buses and IC Bus.
The electric buses have a range of 100 to 200 miles between charges and use charging stations at midday and night at the Pine Hills Transportation Center.
The six electric buses cost between $360,000 and $450,000 each, triple the price of a diesel bus. The grant paid the difference.
The new electric-powered buses started carrying students in west Orlando and the Pine Hills area to school in mid-February.
“I love driving the electric school bus because it's quieter and has better safety features and braking compared to a diesel bus,” said Gary Giddens, who has been an OCPS bus driver for 20 years.
The pilot program, which lasts until the end of the school year, will allow OCPS to test the performance of the buses.
“The electric school bus pilot program will provide OCPS with cost-savings data,” said Bill Wen, senior director of Transportation Services. “The perks include not purchasing diesel fuel, [not] needing oil and filter changes and reducing air pollutants.”