All-electric bus touted as healthier for kids, better for environment

Ohio is in line for a share of a multibillion-dollar settlement related to diesel emissions, and local officials have their eyes on a way to spend some of the money: all-electric buses.

City and school district officials hosted an event Friday that is part of a demonstration tour of the eLion all-electric bus. The manufacturer, Lion Bus of Canada, is working with environmental groups to urge school districts to add the buses to their fleets.

The vehicle itself looks like any other school bus with the notable absence of a tailpipe.

“Let’s face it: Diesel pollution is bad for the environment, bad for public health and bad for our children,” said Susan Mudd, senior policy advocate for the Environmental Law & Policy Center, a co-sponsor of the event. “Children, whose lungs are still developing, are among the most vulnerable to the many negative direct effects of direct exposure to diesel pollution.”

Ohio in line for more than $70 million in proceeds from multistate settlements with Volkswagen related to the automaker’s diesel vehicles being caught cheating on emissions testing. The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency is overseeing how the money will be spent.

Richard Hicks, director of environmental protection for Columbus Public Health, said the shift to all-electric business would be a step toward reducing childhood asthma and other health conditions related to air pollution.

The Columbus event was the final stop on a week-long Midwestern tour to promote the idea of using the settlement money for all-electric buses.

The demonstration began at Fort Hayes Metropolitan Education Center, which is where Columbus City Schools’ buses are based. The school district has 856 buses in its fleet, of which six are diesel-electric hybrids.

A diesel bus has a price range of roughly $100,000 to $150,000. An all-electric bus often costs more than $200,000. The actual costs vary based on add-ons, bulk-buying discounts and many other factors.

“It’s the most efficient technology you’ll find for the school bus industry,” said Cyril Gauchet, a representative from the Quebec provincial government, who was there to support Lion Bus. The bus company is based in the Montreal area.

That said, there are other technologies that also market themselves as a cleaner option for schools. These include buses that run on compressed natural gas and propane, among others.

Lion Bus is one of several manufacturers that make or plan to make all-electric buses.

As is often the case with all-electric vehicles, much of the early adoption has happened in California, according to School Bus Fleet magazine. The buses have only been available for about two years, and the Volkswagen money is an opportunity to jumpstart wider adoption.

source:  dispatch.com