Commercial, Distributed Energy Resources, GHG Emissions  -  January 4, 2024

Carter County Schools Add Electric Bus Fleet

Carter County Schools (CCS) in Kentucky will add 23 electric school buses to its fleet.

The buses are being supplied by Blue Bird Corporation, an electric and low-emission school bus manufacturer. 

The school district operates eleven schools serving approximately 4,200 students.

The Blue Bird Vision electric school buses feature an extended range and faster battery charging, with a higher-capacity battery of 196 kWh, a 25% capacity increase compared to the previous model bus.

The high-performance battery enables a vehicle range of up to 130 miles on a single charge and takes merely three hours to fully recharge since it supports a fast-charging rate of 80 kW.

The compact and lightweight batteries contribute to improved efficiency and a vehicle weight reduction of approximately 1,000 lbs. 

“We are thrilled to deploy our very first electric school buses to lower the emissions of our school bus fleet,” said Dr. Paul Green, superintendent of Carter County Schools, in a statement. “Clean student transportation is one of our top priorities. Blue Bird’s most advanced, zero-emission school buses will help us to create a healthier environment for our students and our communities at-large.”

CCS received a $9.085 million grant through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2022 Clean School Bus Rebate Program to purchase its Blue Bird electric school bus fleet. This program is part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) which provides a total of $5 billion over five years for clean school bus transportation nationwide. 

Share this valuable information with your colleagues using the buttons below: