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Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland’s largest school system, will add hundreds of electric bus school buses to its fleet, and will become the biggest operator of electric school buses in the U.S., with the goal of going all electric in 14 years.
Under a contract approved by the Montgomery County Board of Education Tuesday, Montgomery County Public Schools will introduce over 300 electric vehicles to its fleet of school buses in the coming years.
The goal, county leaders said, is for the school system’s current fleet of school buses which boasts more than 1,400 vehicles to go completely electric by the year 2035.
Electric school buses don’t just eliminate the carbon and pollution emissions of their diesel-fueled counterparts; they also cost less to fuel and maintain over the long haul.
Unfortunately for cash-strapped school districts, the upfront cost to purchase an electric school bus is still more than twice as much as the cost of a diesel bus today. And that’s not counting the cost of new charging infrastructure or the risk that those charging costs may drive a district’s electric bills through the roof.
Highland Electric Transportation says it can remove those barriers for school districts and transit authorities by taking on the financing and management of an EV school bus fleet in exchange for a fixed annual leasing fee. In the past week, the Hamilton, Mass.-based startup has won two votes of confidence in its business model.
School board seals deal to bring 300 electric school buses to Montgomery County. The buses will recharge at night and run during the day. During the hot summers, the buses and charging stations can help store needed energy for local businesses.