Can you put an electric engine in a school bus?

— Getting more electric school buses into operation could come from converting older internal combustion engine (ICE) models to an electric motor. This option has been put forward as a cheaper, and possibly quicker, alternative to buying a new electric bus outright.



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Estimated savings An e-bus may be 50% more expensive than a standard diesel option, and that's not including the cost of charging stations. Once over that initial speed bump, however, it's a smooth ride to savings.

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They're responsible for significantly lower levels of greenhouse gases than diesel-powered school buses and our research suggests that compared to a new diesel-burning school bus, a new electric school bus can save an average of $6,000 every year on operational expenditures, depending on circumstances.

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Those upfront costs for electric buses can be expensive. They vary by factors like size and battery type, but costs average about $400,000 per bus. That's more expensive than some diesel alternatives, but battery production costs are expected to decline as the market matures, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

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What Are The Disadvantages Of Electric School Buses? The two biggest disadvantages are cost and range.

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On average, diesel buses use 6 miles per gallon [mpg], while electric buses boost that efficiency to an equivalent of 17 mpg. Electric school buses can save more than $170,000 on fuel and maintenance throughout their lifespan.

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Availability was much higher during the last 8 months with an average availability of 84.7%. The battery buses had an overall average efficiency of 2.84 kWh per mile, which equates to a fuel economy of 13.3 miles per diesel gallon equivalent (mpdge).

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