Do electric buses save money?

Electric buses can save cities up to $170,000 per unit — here's how to vie for them in your area. Swapping one diesel bus for an electric one reduces human health costs by $150,000 per year. Standard diesel-sucking buses are actually some of the most eco-friendly ways to travel when compared to planes and cars.



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It's cheaper to run and maintain an electric bus. Fueling a bus with electricity is only about a third of the cost of fueling it with gas, which saves a considerable amount of money over time. Electric buses also have fewer regular maintenance costs—because they don't run on fuel, there's no need for oil changes.

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Electric school buses are a cleaner, safer alternative, and they're cheaper to operate — it costs about 14 cents a mile for electricity compared to 49 cents per mile for diesel fuel, according to Blue Bird, a leading school bus manufacturer. They can also act as giant batteries to store surplus energy when not in use.

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With lower fuel expenses, maintenance costs and record funding available to offset purchase costs, the total cost of owning an electric school bus can be hundreds of thousands of dollars less than for a diesel-burning bus.

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What Are The Disadvantages Of Electric School Buses? The two biggest disadvantages are cost and range. Although an electric bus is likely to save money in the long term, the initial purchase price is considerably higher. This difference can be potentially offset with different funding options.

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Electric school buses can travel 100 miles or more on a single charge. That's more than enough for the average route.

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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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Pros of the Electric Bus
  • They're better for the environment. ...
  • It's cheaper to run and maintain an electric bus. ...
  • Electric buses are more convenient. ...
  • They have a higher upfront cost. ...
  • Electric buses have a limited range.


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Additionally, commitments from California and major transit hubs, including New York City and Seattle, to go 100 percent electric with their bus fleets have led to estimates that electric buses will make up one-third of the national fleet by 2045.

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How much does it cost to replace an electric bus battery? When will that replacement be necessary? The traction battery on an electric school bus could cost around $50,000 to replace, if replacement costs are not covered under warranty. Battery capacity and bus range will decline over time.

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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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Executive buses average 6 miles per gallon, especially when it comes to larger models that carry 45 to 51 passengers. Newer, high-tech models may get up to 10 to 12 miles per gallon. The larger the bus, the lower the average mileage.

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Expanding Bus Ranges and Declining Battery Prices Are Making Electric Buses Mainstream Electric buses today can travel anywhere between 150 miles on the lower end to 275 – 300 miles on a single charge.

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Featuring two electric motors engineered to deliver an impressive 550 horsepower, the DuoPower drivetrain has the potential to propel a bus from 0 to 20 mph in under six seconds. With a seating capacity of 29, the bus provides a maximum range of 240 miles and a top speed of 65mph.

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More fuel efficient: Diesel school buses can drive at 8.20 miles per gallon, whereas an electric school bus drives at 20.87 miles per diesel gallon equivalent — making them almost 60% more energy efficient.

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