Image courtesy of Silicon Valley Clean Cities
I’ve talked about a few of the school districts across the country choosing to switch from standard diesel buses to a fleet at least partially powered by alternative fuels such as propane or electricity. But, all of these schools chose to purchase brand new buses (usually with the assistance of a grant) which are typically well outside the budget for many schools in America.
This week, Thomas McMahon reported Gilroy Unified School District in California showed the world that you don’t have to go all out with purchasing new buses to cut down on fuel costs and emissions. On Tuesday, the district unveiled a pilot project for an all electric bus converted from an older diesel school bus already owned by the district.
The project was spearheaded by nonprofit organization Breathe California of the Bay Area and the primary funding source is The Health Trust. While it still may be hard for districts already managing tight budgets, converted buses are much more attainable than replacing existing buses with brand new, state of the art vehicles designed to run of technology.
In addition to converting the bus from diesel to electric, the district was supplied with a solar array intended to help generate electricity to power the bus.
“I have long imagined a world where clean, zero-emission vehicles would take children to school … and now that vision is a reality,” said Margo Sidener, president and CEO of Breathe California of the Bay Area. “The addition of solar fueling makes this a ‘Zero Emissions Squared’ project — zero-emission vehicle times zero-emission fuel — for cleaner air for all.”
Edward Monfort, president of Adomani Inc., invented the bus conversion used at Gilroy. At the unveiling, Monfort told the crowd, “Our conversion of this 50-passenger full-size bus proves that Adomani is a company that can convert vehicles into all-electric vehicles no matter what size or type of vehicle you have.”
You don’t have to have a new bus to own a bus that runs on alternative fuels that can save you money on fueling and maintaining your vehicle. If you already own a bus, or you are considering investing in one, you can save yourself significantly in the long run by deciding to convert a vehicle into something that is less harmful to the environment and smarter for your wallet.
