Commercial, Distributed Energy Resources - February 13, 2023
University of Michigan Buys Electric Buses
The University of Michigan announced purchasing four electric buses that will operate by June.
The campus plans to switch to all-electric buses by 2035, according to Capital News Service.
The university spent $3.64 million for the electric buses, which are part of the goals created by the President’s Commission on Carbon Neutrality.
The campus is using 56 diesel-fueled buses currently. Switching to an all-electric bus fleet will cost the university $50 million, according to Nick Gallo, the communications manager for logistics, transportation, and parking at U-M.
The new 40-foot electric vehicle bus cost $850,000, compared to spending $476,000 in 2022 for a diesel bus. The lower maintenance and energy costs of the electric buses will offset the diesel-powered ones, Gallo told Capital News Service.
The university has purchased four additional buses from the manufacturer New Flyer for 2024.
The electric buses have 250 miles in range from one charge and will lower GHG emissions. They include batteries with a new lightweight electric traction drive system with up to 90% energy recovery, said Chris Stoddart, president of New Flyer.
The purchase of the buses was funded by U-M’s Planet Blue, which creates sustainable development projects for the Commission on Carbon Neutrality. It also issued $300 million in green bonds.
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