87 New Electric School Buses For Michigan – CleanTechnica

---

Support CleanTechnica’s work through a Substack subscription or on Stripe.

---

A round of investment totaling $35.9 million from the Michigan Department of Education’s (MDE) $125 million Clean Bus Energy Grant (CBEG) program will be used for 87 new electric school buses in Michigan.

“Children and others in their communities benefit from cleaner air. We are happy to work with our partners at the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) to make our state greener,” said Interim State Superintendent Dr. Sue C. Carnell.

Diesel school buses generate toxic air pollutants  that are harmful to human health, and children are more vulnerable to the toxins. 

While some people might not be aware that diesel exhaust is as harmful as it actually is, fortunately 5 minutes of Googling can return all sorts of research study information describing its impacts.

“Researchers have long documented the effects of diesel exhaust from school buses. More than 20 years ago, a study by the Natural Resources Defense Council and the University of California, Berkeley found that the level of exhaust inside the vehicles reached 23 to 46 times the amount the Environmental Protection Agency said would pose a significant risk of cancer. Another study, by researchers at the University of Connecticut, found a level of fine particulate matter inside school buses five to 15 times higher than those found outside. Such risks are compounded by the amount of time students spend on buses: A 30-minute ride to and from school every day amounts to 180 hours each year.”

“The effects on children of color and low-income students are especially profound. Sixty percent of low-income students ride the bus to school, compared to 45 percent of students from higher income households. Rates of asthma, which is exacerbated by diesel pollution, also are significantly higher among people of color.”

The source is the Public Health Institute, a non-profit organization that has been doing public work for decades.

Of course, school districts that use diesel buses to transport children to and from public schools are not deliberately exposing them to toxic chemicals. They are simply unaware of the potential harm. Fully electric buses eliminate the presence of diesel engines, diesel fuel and the direct toxic emissions.

The US EPA website has provided the following information.

Benefits of Electric School Buses

• Zero tailpipe pollution — students, drivers, and members of the community will be exposed to significantly less harmful diesel emissions like PM and NOX
• Reduced greenhouse gas emissions compared to diesel school buses
• Reduced maintenance costs
• Less brake wear due to regenerative braking and no engine or exhaust system maintenance
• Potential for reduced fuel costs compared to diesel, depending on electricity costs
• Quiet, clean operation
• Potential for fleets to partner with local utilities to feed power back into the grid when buses are not in use and electricity demand is high
• Improved student attendance and academic achievement.

Some critics, trolls, and haters like to try to claim electric vehicles ‘cost too much’ but the health costs to children are greater when riding diesel school buses. Somehow the naysayers don’t know about that cost or will not acknowledge it.

Tina actually wrote an article about electric buses in October that referenced the new electric buses in Michigan, so my article is slightly dated. I wanted to call out the number of buses in Michigan by giving them their own article. These EV success stories matter, especially given who is in the White House.