Pittsburgh goes electric: inside the district’s new clean school buses

First Student has rolled out 16 new electric school buses for Pittsburgh Public Schools, thanks to first-round funding of the US EPA Clean School Bus Program.

Pittsburgh’s new electric school buses offer a cleaner, quieter, and healthier ride for the largest school district in Allegheny County and the second-largest in Pennsylvania, with nearly 20,000 students.

The Blue Bird Micro Bird G5es feature a range of up to 100 miles on a single charge, powered by 600-volt lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries with capacities ranging from 88 kWh to 132 kWh. They use an advanced electric drivetrain delivering up to 335 horsepower and 1,403 Nm (1035 lb-ft) of torque, and they need much less maintenance than diesel buses.

With a Level 2 charger, buses fully recharge in around 6-8 hours. By operating quietly, the buses also reduce noise pollution.

Advertisement – scroll for more content

“The addition of electric buses allows us to take an important step toward a cleaner, quieter, and safer ride, protecting student health and enhancing their daily experience,” said Dr. Wayne N. Walters, superintendent of Pittsburgh Public Schools.

Electric buses aren’t just better for the environment and student health — they’re also financially smart. With fewer moving parts, the buses require less maintenance and fewer repairs, freeing up district funds for education programs and student enrichment.

School transportation provider First Student already operates nearly 450 electric school buses nationwide, having logged nearly 6 million electric miles.

Read more: These solar-roofed electric school buses are V2X

If you live in an area that has frequent natural disaster events, and are interested in making your home more resilient to power outages, consider going solar and adding a battery storage system. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. They have hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.

Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisers to help you every step of the way. Get started here. –trusted affiliate link*