West Aurora School District 129 launches fleet of electric school buses
Some new yellow school buses in west suburban Aurora are all green after the school district unveiled a new fleet of electric school buses and charging stations.
"We're learning these buses as we go," driver Rita Medina said. "It definitely is a big change."
The road ahead sounds quieter and less bumpy for Medina, who trains school bus drivers at West Aurora School District 129. In her 20 years behind the wheel, she never expected to drive an electric bus.
The district officially launched 27 zero-emission electric school buses and 28 charging stations — not like the kind of buses adults used to ride.
"It's not that much different inside except that it's way quieter and it produces a lot less emissions," said Dr. Angie Smith, associate superintendent for operations for the school district.
"It's completely powered by the battery that sits underneath the bus and can drive over 100 miles fully charged," said Joshua Williams, senior Midwest regional manager of Highland Electric Fleets. "They're already used for daily routes."
Highland Electric Fleets helped the district transition a third of its buses to electric, making it the biggest electric school bus fleet in the Chicago area. All thanks to federal funding and a big rebate check from ComEd.
The district says each electric vehicle was about half the price of a traditional diesel bus. The EVs will stick to shorter routes – especially as temperatures drop.
"A little bit nervous for the winter," Medina said.
"We do plan for cold Chicago winters, so typically, maybe worst-case scenario, they might travel 65 to 70 miles," Williams said.
Bus drivers are settling in for the road ahead
"Everything's changing. Everything's upgrading," Medina said.