Here’s how the largest electric school bus transition in the US is going so far
Those big yellow diesel school buses are a thing of the past as the US moves to zero-emission transportation. For those wondering how students and drivers are reacting to the transition, the Montgomery County Public School, which currently operates the largest electric school bus fleet in the US, gives us an inside look at how it’s going so far.
Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) is leading the charge for clean transportation to and from school, deploying the largest electric school bus fleet in the nation.
The school district expects to transition to a fully electric fleet within the next ten years as part of its pledge to reduce carbon emissions by 100% by 2035.
It received its first 25 electric school buses last year, installing the necessary infrastructure at one of its transportation depots. This year, MCPS added another 61, for a total of 86.
On a typical day, MCPS diesel buses use about 17,000 gallons of diesel fuel (nearly $80,000 at current prices). More importantly, they emit harmful emissions that can negatively impact student health and the communities they serve.
As the school district rolls out its electric buses, they are finding not only do drivers love them but so do the students.
Drivers and students adjust to electric bus transition
Electric buses are an upgrade from their diesel-emitting counterparts in several ways other than just zero-emissions. For one, they are much calmer rides. Transportation director Greg Salois at MCPS tells Bethesda Magazine bus drivers are enjoying the new upgrades, saying:
Overall, they love it. There’s no noise.
Eric Melgar, a Rockville resident and bus driver for MCPS for a year and a half, says the electric buses are modern, eco-friendly, and more spacious than the outdated diesel models. He adds the students love the buses, too, and has noticed his students are quieter and better behaved.
They automatically fall in love with it. It’s a much smoother ride – you can tell the difference going over bumps and turns.
On a full charge, the electric buses – made by Thomas Built Buses – will go over 100 miles. They can also fit seven more passengers. According to depot manager Jim Beasly, the EV buses are longer by four feet.
Beasly adds loud diesel buses can be challenging to yell over, while the quieter environment promotes better student behavior. Bus drivers participate in several hours of training before getting behind the wheel.
And one of the best parts, it comes at no additional cost to the school district.
MCPS is partnering with Highland Electric to upgrade 326 diesel buses to electric by 2025. Acting as a dealer, Highland buys the electric school buses from Thomas Built on MCPS’s behalf. Highland then charges MCPS the same price it would pay for diesel, absorbing the difference and collecting federal and state incentives to offset it.
Electric school buses save districts money over time with less maintenance and no fuel costs. Salois says the cost to drive an electric bus is around $2,600 for every 15,000 miles, while diesel costs around $9,000.
With 1,230 buses out daily, MCPS still needs to transition over 900 to fully electric over the next ten years. Learn more about how stackable electric school bus incentives make it nearly free for school districts to make the switch.
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General Motors may be better known for its lineup of full-size trucks and SUVs, but a recently published patent shows the legacy automaker has at least considered something much smaller and nimbler: an electric motorcycle.
The patent, which surfaced earlier this year in a report by Visordown, outlines a lightweight, scrambler-style electric two-wheeler that has set off a fresh wave of speculation about GM’s potential interest in electric motorcycles or micromobility.
The design in the patent filing shows a slim electric motorcycle with a flat bench seat, upright handlebars, and dual-sport tires, suggesting a utility-forward ride meant for light off-road or potentially even mixed urban use (if it were homologated for street use).
The rear hub motor and what appears to be a central battery housing point to a simple, low-maintenance drivetrain, potentially aimed at the commuter or recreational rider market.
The overall look is somewhere between a moped and a small electric dirt bike, reminiscent of models like the Sur Ron Light Bee or Talaria Sting, though slightly more street-looking with less of a focus on pure dirt.
While the patent doesn’t include performance specs or firm production plans, it’s the clearest signal yet that GM is at least experimenting with the idea of higher-powered two-wheeled EVs. And there is some precedent. GM previously dipped a toe into the micromobility waters with the Ariv electric bicycle project, and more recently partnered with Recon Power Bikes to release a Hummer-branded fat tire e-bike.
Both efforts showed that GM sees value in offering electric alternatives beyond the traditional four-wheel format, even if the Ariv program quietly ended after a short run.
Whether this patent leads to a full-fledged GM electric motorcycle remains to be seen. It’s entirely possible the design is a concept or technology demo with no intention of hitting the market. But there are other possibilities too. GM could develop a motorcycle under one of its existing sub-brands, create a new division specifically for electric powersports, or partner with an existing two-wheeler manufacturer to license or co-develop the platform.
The timing wouldn’t be far-fetched. Despite bumpy roads in the larger flagship electric motorcycle market, lightweight electric motorcycles are booming, with companies like Ryvid targeting urban riders looking for clean, compact alternatives to traditional gasoline-powered bikes.
At the same time, a growing number of younger consumers are bypassing car ownership entirely, instead looking toward e-bikes, scooters, and low-speed electric motorcycles for daily transport. A small, stylish, and affordable GM electric motorcycle could hit that sweet spot.
Of course, turning a patent drawing into a real-world vehicle is a big leap, and GM’s own e-bike history is a reminder that two-wheeled projects can be short-lived. Still, it’s hard to ignore the symbolism of this move: even one of America’s largest automakers is exploring what personal electric transportation looks like when you cut the vehicle in half. GM might not be ready to ditch its trucks, but it clearly hasn’t ruled out hopping on a bike.
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The electric restomod experts at Lunaz have turned their talents towards the classic Rolls-Royce Phantom V limousine – and the result is exactly the kind of smooth, quiet, and luxurious ride RR’s founders would have built.
Rolls-Royce’ founders dedicated their engineering talents to developing cars that were smooth, quiet, and adequately powerful – and they spared no expense. The company Charles Rolls and Henry Royce founded would eventually go on to develop some of the most powerful and celebrated combustion engines of the twentieth century … but the car they wanted to build? It was electric.
“The electric car is perfectly noiseless and clean,” Charles Rolls told The Motor-Car Journal, all the way back in April of 1900. (!) “There is no smell or vibration, and they should become very useful when fixed charging stations can be arranged. But for now, I do not anticipate that they will be very serviceable – at least for many years to come.”
Well, 125 years seems like “many” to – and the talented craftspeople and engineers at Lunaz seem to agree. Meet the Lunaz Rolls-Royce Phantom V limousine.
It’s glorious
Lunaz says it’s true to Rolls’ vision “down to the smallest, most indulgent detail.” To that end, the company re-trims the modern heated and ventilated seats in fine leathers, hand-cut and stitched to the buyers’ specifications. In the rear, the center console can be ordered with a built-in cigar humidor, a cocktail bar, or some other custom-spec, lockable storage lined in suede and polished walnut (translation: guns and drugs, probably).
When reimagining the Rolls-Royce Phantom V, (we) started by understanding the essence of its original design. Every component and dynamic was scrutinized to identify where thoughtful innovation could truly elevate the experience. The result is a harmonious blend of modern advancements and original mastery, unlocking new levels of performance, reliability and refinement while honoring Rolls-Royce’ classic soul.
Like the classic Bentley S2 Continental the company revealed in 2023, the big electric Roller is equipped with an 80 kWh battery pack sending electrons to a proprietary Lunaz drivetrain featuring 400 hp worth of electric motors delivering a silky-smooth 530 lb-ft of torque, good for a 0-100 km/h (62 mph) swoosh in about seven seconds. Of course, why you’d ever ask your driver to perform such plebian stunts is simply beyond me.
The transformation and restoration took more than 5,500 man-hours to complete, and involve more than 11,000 new or reconditioned components at a cost of more than £1 million (about $1.35 million US). If you place your order today, you should get yours in 18-24 months.
Lunaz Rolls-Royce gallery
SOURCE | IMAGES: Lunaz.
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Fortescue has taken the wraps off a prototype of its proposed “Infinity Train” electric locomotive, making the 1,100 km (about 685 miles) trip from Perth to the Pilbara and marking a major milestone in the decarbonization of the company’s heavy haul operations.
Co-developed with the locomotive experts at Downer Group, Fortescue revealed its concept for a battery electric “Infinity Train” back in March of 2022. At the time, the company promised a “world’s first” iron ore train capable of fully charging its batteries through regenerative braking. The two companies claimed the clever technology would create a self-sustaining, zero-emission rail system powered entirely by the force of gravity during the train’s loaded downhill travels.
This week, the concept went from the drawing board to the real world, completing an 1,100 km trip across Australia and proving itself to be up to the task of handling the grueling demands of Fortescue’s massive mining operations.
“We’re thrilled to see our battery electric locomotive prototype arrive in the Pilbara,” said Ellie Coates, CEO of Fortescue Zero. She added that the achievement, using zero fossil fuels, “represent(s) a major step in Fortescue’s journey to Real Zero.”
The Fortescue Infinity Train uses the energy produced by slowing the loaded train on downhill sections of the company’s 385 mile private, heavy-haul rail network to recharge its battery systems. That energy is enough to bring the unloaded train back to the mine, eliminating the need for external charging infrastructure or additional renewable energy sources, making the train almost entirely self-sufficient.
Fortescue says the deployment of the Infinity Train concept at its mines will eliminate more than 82 million liters of diesel fuel consumption (about 21 million gallons, which ChatGPT tells me amounts to about 235,200 tons of CO₂ emissions).
That change alone would eliminate about 11% of Scope 1 emissions annually for Fortescue all on its own, putting it well on its way to its stated goal of achieving “Real Zero” emissions-free operations.
Electrek’s Take
Using gravity to charge up heavily-laden mining vehicles on downhill runs is an idea that’s been put into practice for years, with great success wherever the topography allows (since 2017, at least). Combining that clever use of gravity, traction braking, and battery storage for use on a rail system like this just seems smart, and it makes me think we’re just scratching the surface of all the clever ways electrification and battery storage will eventually get put to use.
I wonder what would happen if you threw some battery electric rail cars into the mix, as well!? You guys are smart, head down to the comments and let me know (and, while you’re there, help me check ChatGPT’s math on those carbon emissions).
SOURCE | IMAGES: Fortescue, via LinkedIn.
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