Georgia school district leads with all-electric, propane bus fleet

Blue Bird recently supplied 17 state-of-the-art electric and propane-powered school buses to Wilkes County Schools in Georgia. (Image: Wilkes County Schools)

Wilkes County Schools (WCS) said it has become the first school district in Georgia to serve all 25 of its daily bus routes exclusively with zero- and ultra-low-emission school buses. The district’s new fleet, comprising electric and propane-powered buses, has replaced regular diesel buses, which WCS said improves air quality for students and the surrounding community while reducing operating costs.

Blue Bird Corporation, based in Macon, Ga., recently delivered five electric and 12 propane-powered school buses to WCS. The company said the electric buses generate zero emissions and can carry approximately 60 students up to 130 miles on a single charge. Blue Bird’s propane-powered buses, which the company said emit 96 percent fewer harmful emissions than diesel buses, can carry a similar number of students approximately 250 miles on a single tank of propane autogas.

Michelle Smith, superintendent of Wilkes County Schools, said, “Blue Bird’s zero- and ultra-low-emission school buses will help us create a healthier environment for our students and communities at large while significantly lowering our operating costs. Together, we have transformed our ambitious vision of clean, sustainable student transportation into a reality.”

WCS said replacing diesel buses with electric models allows the district to substantially reduce operating expenses due to lower fuel and maintenance costs. School districts across the country have reported energy costs as low as 19 cents per mile for electric buses, compared with up to 79 cents per mile for diesel buses. The propane-powered buses also contribute to cost savings, with WCS reporting fuel and maintenance savings of up to $3,700 per bus annually. Over the 15-year lifespan of its fleet of 22 propane buses, WCS could save more than $1.2 million.

Highland Electric Fleets, a provider of school bus fleet electrification-as-a-service, installed five Tellus charging stations to support WCS’s electric buses. These chargers enable overnight and downtime charging to ensure buses are always ready to meet transportation needs, WCS said.

WCS secured a $2,335,000 grant through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean School Bus Rebate Program to purchase its Blue Bird electric and propane-powered buses, the district said. This program, part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, provides $5 billion over five years for clean school bus transportation nationwide.

Blue Bird said it is the only U.S.-owned school bus manufacturer in the United States and the sole provider of propane-powered school buses in the country. Its propane-powered buses, featuring engines 90 percent cleaner than the most stringent EPA emission standards, already exceed stricter standards set to take effect in 2027, the company said.

Blue Bird added that it has more than 2,000 zero-emission electric buses in operation today.

Editor’s Note: this article was written with the assistance of AI.