Electric School Buses

Two years ago, the Yarmouth School Department purchased two electric school buses (ESBs) from the Canadian company Lion. These buses were delivered in the summer of 2023, and ran fine for a while. But then the buses started having compressor issues, high voltage warnings, and even complete loss of power, along with leaks in the windshield and emergency exit hatches and other assembly-line problems. Since the problems arose, they haven’t been used.

According to Lion, these buses can achieve a range of 100 to 155 miles, and can accommodate up to 77 passengers. They can charge in as little as two and a half hours, depending on the model. 

Lion also claims that the ESBs reduce fuel and maintenance costs by 80% and 60%, respectively. Assuming the battery capacity is the larger of the two options offered, it should cost just under 11 cents per mile driven to operate an electric bus, versus 38 cents per mile for a diesel bus. That means the Lion Electric buses should be almost 3.5 times cheaper to operate than the average diesel bus. The Electric School Bus Initiative says that over the lifetime of an ESB, more than $100,000 dollars can be saved per unit in fuel and maintenance costs. However, the buses haven’t been in service for the Yarmouth Schools long enough, so no practical data has been collected.

Of course, there are two sides to the coin. The cost of an electric bus can be as much as $370,000, which is almost two and a half times more expensive than a diesel bus, which usually go for around 150 grand. ESBs also have a limited range, so they’re unsuitable for long-distance driving. For instance, in ideal conditions and at the Lion buses’ max range, they can barely make it to the New Hampshire Border and back–– recharging technology still isn’t perfect, taking a couple of hours to recharge with the right equipment–– whereas a diesel bus can keep going, only stopping for 5 minutes to fill up at a gas station.

The cost of these two buses was paid by the EPA, through a grant given to the Yarmouth School Department. It is a program called the Clean School Bus Rebate Program. The YSD is approved for another similar grant by the EPA, leaving the door open for the purchase, at no cost to Yarmouth, of another zero-emission school bus. Chris Storer, the Transportation Director for the school department, said the schools are “looking at every possible avenue towards a cleaner and brighter future.” 

In an interview, the superintendent Dr. Dolloff said “if we are going to [buy more electric school buses], we have got to look at different companies.” Still, he is “determined to do some work to reduce our carbon footprint.” That could include electrifying the fleet of utility vehicles, like pickup trucks and vans, along with the buses. There are other options for reducing the school buses’ carbon footprint, like propane or hydrogen fuel cells. The former is much more likely, as a current diesel bus can be converted to propane without too much difficulty. Dr. Dolloff also plans to install a network of EV charging stations around town for YSD vehicles primarily, but also for the public. 

YSD’s electric school buses The Clipper Chronicle// Devyn Doyle