A diesel/electric hybrid bus combines two power sources in the vehicle drive train - a conventional diesel engine and an electric motor. The hybrid system enables energy to be recovered during braking and then released to accelerate the vehicle.
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Buying a hybrid bus costs roughly $300k more than buying a diesel equivalent, but factoring in the fuel savings, thanks to the hybrid system and the maintenance cost reduction, permits a cool $168k saving over the 12-year lifetime of the hybrid bus, compared to the lifetime cost of the diesel bus.
Diesel school buses are already the most fuel-efficient in the industry, due to a higher BTU count compared to other fuels, providing better fuel economy and a longer operating range compared to similar-sized gasoline, propane or compressed natural gas (CNG) engines.
It depends on the vehicle's gas tank size and fuel economy. If a school bus had an 80-gallon tank and operated with a fuel economy of about 6 miles per gallon, it could travel about 480 miles. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the average school bus travels 12,000 miles per year 4.
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.
Over the long haul, newer diesel engines will last 15-20 years in a fleet, while a gasoline engine may need to be replaced once or even twice during the life of a school bus. “All of these are important for fleet managers to stop and consider when choosing a new school bus,” says Hedgecock.
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.
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.