Electric school buses are rolling out across the United States as school districts look to keep their students and the communities they work in safe and free of harmful emissions. In a significant milestone, Thomas Built Buses announced Wednesday that it has delivered 200 Proterra-powered electric school buses, with the latest going to Monroe County, Indiana.
What makes Proterra-powered electric school buses special
Thomas Built Buses, a leading school bus manufacturer with over 100 years of experience, teamed up with Proterra, a commercial EV tech manufacturer, to introduce the next generation of electric school buses.
Each Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley electric school bus comes equipped with 226 kWh of energy through a Proterra-powered battery system and drivetrain. The Proterra H Series battery pack is designed for commercial use with a liquid cooling system and enhanced software to ensure maximum charging and performance efficiency.
The Proterra-powered electric buses can seat up to 81 while delivering up to 138 miles in range. With over-the-air software updates and vehicle-to-grid charging capabilities, these EV buses are lightyears ahead of the traditional yellow buses we are used to.
For example, in August, Electrek reported two Jouley electric buses gave seven MWh back to the grid. Combined with the three MWh previously generated, it was enough to power around 600 homes for a day.
More recently, in September, Thomas Built Saf-T-Liner electric buses crossed 500,000 miles driven in Virginia, avoiding 447.7 short tons of greenhouse gases, according to the AFLEET tool.
Today, Thomas Built Buses achieved another major milestone by delivering its 200th Jouley electric school bus loaded with Proterra technology. Indiana’s Monroe County Public School District is celebrating as it helped play a role in getting there.
Indiana welcomes new zero-emission EV buses
The first county in Indiana state to receive a Jouley electric bus in the fall of 2022, Monroe County helped Thomas Built Buses achieve the 200-bus milestone as it received its sixth delivery of 13 zero-emission buses.
The superintendent for Monroe County Community School Corp., Dr. Jeff Hauswald, explains the benefits of school districts going electric, stating:
Beyond the long-term cost savings benefits, converting our fleet also helps us meet safety and sustainability goals set forth by school administration, reducing CO2 emissions by 27 tons and saving 1,080 gallons of diesel per bus in our fleet. With every additional bus we convert, we’re only adding to those numbers.
The school district has committed to going all-electric by 2028, including around 85 primary bus routes.
Meanwhile, Chris Baily, president of Proterra Powered & Energy, congratulated Monroe County while speaking about the company’s mission to continue rolling out zero-emissions buses to protect communities across the US, saying:
Schools across America are driving towards a clean transportation future. Proterra congratulates Monroe County schools for their leadership in the growing movement of school districts that are embracing zero-emission, all-electric school buses. Now, with 200 Proterra Powered electric school buses on the road, we look forward to helping clean the air for more schoolkids and communities throughout the country.
Electrek’s Take
Each year 450,000 school buses travel over 4.3 billion miles, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Even though 200 is only a fraction of the number of school buses in the United States, it’s a start.
As of August 2022, US school districts have committed to 12,720 electric school buses, according to the latest information from the non-profit research organization, the World Resources Institute (WRI).
New incentives such as the EPA Clean School Bus Program, which provides $5 billion in EV school bus funding over the next five years, should help accelerate the adoption pace in the coming years. In fact, after unprecedented initial demand during the first round, the EPA nearly doubled funding to $965 million from $500 million.
School districts are welcoming the change at this point. Now it will come down to how quickly states and school district leaders can receive funding to implement electric school buses. Proterra is committed to leading the transition with its technology paving the way for safe, zero-emission electric school buses.
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The Mockingbird Solar Center, Ørsted’s largest solar project globally, is now online, next to protected prairie donated by the renewable energy giant.
This massive 468-megawatt (MW) solar farm is set to power 80,000 homes and businesses, providing a major boost to the Texas grid.
But the launch of Mockingbird Solar isn’t just about clean energy – it’s also about restoring precious ecosystems. Ørsted has donated 953 acres of the Smiley-Woodfin Native Prairie Grassland, which sits next to the solar center, to The Nature Conservancy. The donated land is now the Smiley Meadow Preserve, a protected area for tallgrass prairie that’s home to more than 400 species of grasses and wildflowers.
Tallgrass prairies are some of the rarest ecosystems in the US, with less than 1% of Texas’ original tallgrass prairies still in existence. Tallgrass prairie does a lot of heavy lifting for the environment, including storing carbon, preventing floods, and providing crucial habitats for pollinators.
“Native prairies are the rarest landscapes left in Texas – so much so that many people have never seen one,” said David Bezanson, land protection strategy program director for The Nature Conservancy in Texas. He added that preserving Smiley Meadow will not only conserve one of the best prairie remnants left but also help restore other prairie habitats and boost regional biodiversity.
The Mockingbird Solar Center, a half-billion-dollar project, is part of Ørsted’s $20 billion push to expand renewable energy production across the US. Beyond generating electricity, it will inject $75 million into local property taxes, benefiting schools and other public services. The project also created over 550 construction jobs and will continue to be supported by operations staff moving forward.
Ørsted worked with US companies, including First Solar, for solar panels and partnered with local businesses like Drake Construction and Pfifer Farms for construction materials. It also gave more than $50,000 to local volunteer fire departments in Roxton and Brookston.
With Mockingbird Solar now up and running, Ørsted has more than 6 gigawatts of onshore wind, solar, and battery storage projects either in operation or being built across the US.
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CNBC’s Jim Cramer on Friday said companies related to natural gas and oil will thrive under President-elect Donald Trump’s administration and a majority Republican Congress.
“We’re hearing about all sorts of Trump trades right now, and many of these things have made insane moves in less than three weeks, to the point where, actually, they’re feeling precarious to me,” he said. “If you want a sustainable Trump trade, I say bet on the natural gas ecosystem. This is an industry that already had a lot going for it, it just needed some cooperation from the federal government, which it is about to get.”
President Joe Biden’s administration is largely opposed to fossil fuels, Cramer said, and the federal government has worked to block pipelines and paused new liquified gas export authorizations. This dynamic, coupled with a weaker global economy, caused the sector to underperform for much of the year, he suggested. But Trump has shown more favor to the industry, and Cramer pointed out that he tapped prominent oil executive Chris Wright to lead the Department of Energy.
Cramer recommended several stocks in the sector, including energy producers EQT and Coterra. The former is focused on natural gas and recently acquired peer Equitrans, raising the combined company’s valuation to an estimated $35 billion, Cramer noted. He added that Coterra is a good long-term holding and called the company “one of the shrewdest operators in the industry.”
He highlighted pipeline companies, including Energy Transfer and Kinder Morgan, and said he was especially bullish on Enbridge. Enbridge says it transports about 20% of all natural gas consumed in the U.S., and Cramer claimed the Canadian outfit has “strategically located assets.”He also named Cheniere and Sempra, saying the former is the “best play” for liquified natural gas exports.
“Seasonally, this is a good time for the commodity,” he said, pointing out that natural gas itself has climbed since the election. “But I also think there’s some optimism about the future of the industry driving this move.”
Jeep’s first global luxury electric SUV will arrive at US dealerships any day. Despite its $72,000 price tag, lease prices for the 2024 Jeep Wagoneer S EV start at just $599 per month.
Jeep claims the Wagoneer S packs “exhilarating performance.” With 600 hp and 617 lb-ft of torque, the big-body SUV can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.4 seconds. Its 100 kWh battery pack also gives it a driving range of over 300 miles.
The electric SUV is unmistakably still a Jeep, but it did get several upgrades to distinguish it as an EV. The grille is now enclosed without the need to cool a massive engine, giving it a sporty, more modern look.
Jeep revamped its design with a new illuminated seven-slot grille with ambient cast lightning. It also fine-tuned its profile, adding flush door handles, a rear wing, and integrated fins for better airflow.
The first Jeep Wagoneer S Launch Edition models get exclusive dark accent design elements like 20″ Gloss Black Wheels.
Inside, the electric SUV is loaded with the latest tech and connectivity, including a best-in-class 45″ of usable screen space. The setup includes a 12.3″ center screen and an exclusive 10.25″ interactive front passenger screen.
Jeep already announced that the 2024 Wagoneer S EV will start at $71,995, but now the company has revealed lease prices for the first time.
According to Jeep, the 2024 Jeep Wagoneer S Launch Edition can be leased for $599 per month for 36 months (10,000 miles per year). The deal includes $4,999 due at signing and a $7,500 EV incentive. However, you may want to act fast, as Jeep’s offer is only good until December 2, 2024.
Jeep Wagoneer S vs Tesla Model Y
Starting Price
Range
Lease Price
Jeep Wagoneer S Launch Edition
$71,995
+300 miles
$599/mo
Tesla Model Y RWD
$44,990
320 miles
$299/mo
Tesla Model Y AWD
$47,990
308 miles
$399/mo
Tesla Model Y AWD Performance
$51,490
279 miles
$599/mo
In comparison, Tesla Model Y RWD lease prices start at $299 for 36 months with $2,999 down (10,000 miles). The Performance AWD model starts at $599 per month. In an end-of-year promo, Tesla also offers 3 months of free Supercharging and Full Self-Driving.
Ready to drive off in your new electric SUV? We can help you get started. You can use our links below to view offers on the Jeep Wagoneer S and Tesla Model Y at a dealer near you.
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