The second largest electric school bus fleet in the US just crossed 500,000 service miles
The school year is beginning, so the buses will be out in full force. However, you may notice a significant difference this year as emission-free electric school buses roll out across the United States. One of the nation’s leading school bus manufacturers, Thomas Built Buses, just achieved a major milestone with help from its Virginia-based dealer Sonny Merryman — Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley electric school buses have now driven more than 500,000 miles.
Electric school buses are designed for a cleaner, sustainable future. Not only do they produce zero emissions, but they are also more efficient, can cost less to maintain, and have abilities their gas-powered counterparts lack.
450,000 yellow school buses across the United States travel over 4.3 billion miles each year, according to information from the US Department of Transportations National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
More importantly, toxic emissions from traditional school buses can harm students, bus drivers, and the communities they drive in.
Although the EPA has introduced stricter standards, it’s not enough as many school buses still emit harmful diesel exhaust. With federal funding more accessible than ever for electric school buses, making the transition makes sense.
As of June 2022, 38 states had adopted electric school buses thanks to several initiatives such as the $5 billion Clean School Bus program.
Meanwhile, states like Virginia are taking the initiative to provide funding and accelerate the transition. For example, in 2019, Virginia’s Governor Ralph Northam and Dominion Energy announced an initiative to provide 13,000 electric school buses by the end of 2030.
Through programs like these, Virginia has grown to become the country’s second-largest electric bus fleet, currently operating 64 Thomas Built electric school buses. In a significant milestone, the electric school buses have now traveled over 500,000 miles, with more buses expected to be delivered as the school year progresses.
Thomas Built Buses achieves 500,000 electric miles in Virginia
The first electric school bus to roll out in the state of Virginia was Thomas Built Buses’ Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley in November 2020.
One C2 Jouley electric bus can transport 81 students with up to 138 miles of range and a 226 kWh standard battery capacity.
Virginia now has 64 electric buses in total. The first 50 were purchased and deployed through the Dominion Energy program, and the remaining 14 were bought using funds from the American Power electric school bus program.
The 500,000 miles driven include several different terrains (city, rural, and hills) and distances from less than 20 miles to more than 90 miles. Although the electric buses have primarily been used for regular school routes, a few have made their way to field trips, band competitions, and more.
By using electric buses for these trips, 447.7 short tons of greenhouse gases were avoided, according to the AFLEET tool.
Through the experience so far, Thomas Built Buses dealer Sonny Merryman and its customers have learned a few critical takeaways that can help others deploy electric buses safely and efficiently:
- Properly train drivers and technicians for a smooth transition.
- Consider assigning a partner or team to help with the deployment.
Perhaps, most importantly, the electric buses have withstood various operational tests, and drivers who have switched to the electric Jouley school buses have loved them so far, according to the school bus dealer.
Electrek’s Take
First things first, congratulations to Thomas Built Buses and Sonny Merryman on the huge milestone. Electric school buses protect students and communities from harmful emissions while saving school districts money on fuel and maintenance in the long run.
At the same time, I think there is a major takeaway from this case study. State funding works, and electric buses are the future. Virginia is proving it. California has proved it. State leaders need to get on board to speed up the transition. There are no excuses now.
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Subaru is teasing a new electric hot hatch that will spearhead a new generation of STI. Is it the WRX STI we’ve been waiting for?
Subaru teases new electric hot hatch
In March 2022, fans were disappointed after Subaru announced plans to end production of the gas-powered WRX STI.
Subaru said the move was due to the shift toward electrification and stricter emissions regulations in places like Europe.
Although the Japanese automaker said at the time it was exploring opportunities for a next-gen WRX STI, including an electrified version, Subaru confirmed it will not be produced on the new WRX platform.
It’s been over three and a half years, but we might finally see the WRX STI return in electric form. After teasing a new electric hot hatch on Wednesday, Subaru said the Performance-E STI concept will spearhead a new generation of vehicles.
The image offers a glimpse of Subaru’s new design with slim, three-line LED lights and a sportier roofline compared to the internal combustion engine (ICE) version that Subaru also previewed.
Subaru is keeping most details secret for now, but said the new electric hot hatch offers “a design that evokes the brand’s heritage while providing a driver-friendly layout and a comfortable, spacious interior.” It will be equipped with new tech, offering “intuitive, exhilarating driving experiences,” the company said.
Subaru will unveil the new STI concepts at the Japan Mobility Show later this month. Atsushi Osaki, Subaru’s president, will deliver a press conference at the Subaru booth on October 29 at 12:30 PM (JST).
The booth will feature the two new STI models, alongside the Trailseeker, Subaru’s second global EV. It will also showcase more rugged Forester Wilderness and Outback Wilderness prototypes, as well as a 1982 Subaru GL Family Huckster.
Subaru is joining Hyundai, Volkswagen, Kia, and a few other automakers planning to introduce new electric hot hatches.
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Tesla is finally running TV/streaming ads, but they are not to sell electric cars. They are to promote a vote for Tesla shareholders to approve Elon Musk’s next compensation package worth up to $1 trillion.
As a company, under Elon Musk’s leadership, Tesla has famously been against advertising. The CEO is even on the record saying that he “hates advertising” and that “other companies spend money on advertising and manipulating public opinion, Tesla focuses on the product.”
However, that was before he acquired Twitter, now X, which relies heavily on advertising.
After that, he started to push Tesla to do some advertising, but the company quickly stopped or greatly reduced its advertising efforts.
Last month, we reported that Tesla’s advertising effort picked back up with ads to encourage Tesla shareholders to vote for Musk’s new unprecedented CEO compensation package worth up to $1 trillion.
The renewed advertising effort was limited to Google and social media ads or sponsored posts, which was also the case in Tesla’s previously mentioned advertising efforts.
Now, Tesla is even running TV-like ads on streaming services. Paramount+ watchers were surprised to see this ad running on the streaming service this week:
This is one of the very first TV-style video ads that Tesla is paying to air, but it is not to sell EVs.
While the automaker is struggling to sell its existing vehicles, the ad exclusively features future products that are not yet available for sale, and it serves only to ask shareholders to vote in accordance with the board’s recommendation at the upcoming shareholders’ meeting.
Electrek’s Take
It’s funny because I was talking to a friend of mine who came back on a long rural road trip with his Cybertruck last week.
He was saying that he was surprised how many people in rural areas not only didn’t know about the Cybertruck, but they didn’t even know much about Tesla. Yet, they were curious about it and electric vehicles in general.
We were discussing how these people are not as active on social media, and that Tesla would greatly benefit from advertising its vehicles in more traditional channels, such as TV/streaming ads, with clear messaging that relates to them, such as the cost of ownership and utility.
I joked that Tesla will do TV ads about Elon’s compensation plan before they do about their EVs. It literally took less than a week for Tesla to prove me right.
There is just no reasonable justification for this. It’s as simple as Elon is bigger than Tesla, a company of 100,000+ people.
You can’t make a viable argument against the fact that this would be money better spent advertising Tesla’s available cars when the company is currently operating its production lines at 60% capacity and the compensation package would be better spent on tens of thousands of full-time employees whose contribution to Tesla is much greater than Elon’s at this point.
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Toyota’s smallest electric vehicle might actually hit the road. Thanks to new funding from the UK government, Toyota is one step closer to turning this pint-sized EV with a solar roof into a reality.
The Toyota FT-Me is a micro EV with a solar roof
It may be only 2.5 meters (98″) long, but Toyota believes the tiny electric car could be an affordable way to zip around the city.
The FT-Me is “a ground breaking concept” that blends premium design with affordability, Toyota said after unveiling it in March.
After securing a £15 million ($20 million) investment from the UK government’s DRIVE35 program, Toyota is moving closer to actually launching the pint-sized EV.
The Advanced Propulsion Centre UK, which manages the funding, announced that the £30.3 million ($40,500) project includes a £15 million grant from the Department for Business and Trade. Toyota is expected to fund the other roughly £15 million.
Toyota is working with several partners, including urban delivery specialist ELM Mobility and the University of Derby, to develop a new lightweight battery electric vehicle (BEV) in the L6e category.
Meanwhile, Savcor will design and develop the solar roof, which Toyota claims can extend a vehicle’s range by 20%, or about 20 to 30 km per day.
The pint-sized EV will be manufactured at Toyota Manufacturing UK’s Burnaston site, where it currently builds the Corolla.
Although it’s about the size of a golf cart, Toyota promises the micro EV fits two passengers comfortably. The company also claims the FT-Me’s propulsion system uses 3X less energy per km than current high-capacity electric vehicles.
Inspired by a jet helmet, Toyota said the vehicle’s compact design makes it perfect for getting around the city. It only takes up about half a parking spot.
Toyota’s pint-sized EV could arrive as a potential rival to the Citroen Ami. The Ami starts at £7,695 ($10,000) OTR, offering a WLTP range of up to 46 miles.
Would you buy Toyota’s micro EV for about $10,000? It could be a fun (and efficient) way to zip around town. It’s basically a futuristic electric golf cart with a solar roof. Unfortunately, it likely will never make it to the US with America’s growing love for big trucks and SUVs.
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