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.
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“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.
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That was more than 50,000 miles ago, and the car is still going strong!
Take a good look at that digital dashboard display up there, and you might notice the Hyundai IONIQ 5’s odometer is sitting pretty at 666,255 km. That’s over 413,990 miles, and the South Korean EV is, reportedly, still racking up miles — and fast! Over at the Facebook Group Mileage Impossible, the car’s owner claimed he covered all those miles in less than three-and-a-half years … which works out to just under 10,000 miles per month! (!!!)
Nearly 400 miles per day
Nearly 10,000 miles/mo.; via Mileage Impossible.
Like any vehicle being driven extreme miles, Hyundai’s excellent IONIQ 5 isn’t perfect. That means a bunch of stuff broke, including the car’s Integrated Charging Control Unit (ICCU), which means it can’t currently be charged on AC (L1/L2) charger. And, while electric cars don’t need oil changes, they do need other types maintenance, and the differential oils and brake fluids have been regularly changed on this car — which, no doubt, has contributed to its longevity.
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The most significant repair to date was the battery replacement at 360,000 miles (almost 55,000 miles ago, by my math). Remarkably, Hyundai covered the cost of the replacement despite the battery being way, way beyond its original 10 year/100,000 mile warranty.
The most impressive part of all this? Even after enduring 360,000 miles and countless fast-charging cycles, the battery reportedly retained 87% of its original health. (!)
Electrek’s Take
The caption reads, “free replacement of battery, motor, and reduction gear at 580,000 km.”
And now, with this 400,000 IONIQ 5, Hyundai has a shining example of the fact that its soon-to-be American-made EVs can go the distance.
Hyundai is still offering 0.99% APR financing for 60 months on all versions of the hot-selling 2025 IONIQ 5, as well as up to $7,500 in Retail Bonus Cash, which (when combined with other incentives in certain markets) can make a huge difference to customers’ bottom line. It doesn’t look like the two offers can be combined, however, so be sure to do the math and see which deal makes the most sense for you.
Porsche is launching a new EV battery recycling pilot to recover valuable raw materials from its cars’ high-voltage battery packs at the end of their useful life in vehicles. The new pilot hopes to develop a “closed-loop” raw material cycle that would have new batteries made from old batteries without the need for new, high carbon cost mineral mining.
With this new initiative, Porsche engineers hope to address the growing importance of recycled battery raw materials and promote the responsible handling of high-voltage batteries at the end of life.
In the long term, a recycling network for EV batteries is planned to be established in collaboration with external partners.
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“With the help of innovative recycling processes, we strive to increase our independence from volatile and geopolitically unstable raw material markets,” says Barbara Frenkel, Executive Board Member for Procurement at Porsche. “Circular Economy is a core pillar of our sustainability strategy, and with this pilot project, we want to underscore our ambitions.”
Three phase plan
“Second Life” concept uses EV batteries as backup power; via Porsche.
Porsche is advancing its commitment to sustainability by embracing the principles of, “reduce, reuse, recycle.” The company is developing more efficient electric vehicles with longer-lasting batteries, which are repurposed in “Second Life” Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) like the one implemented at its Leipzig plant (above). Now, through a new closed-loop recycling pilot, Porsche is emphasizing that “recycle” part by approaching the project in three phases.
In the first project phase, EV batteries from development vehicles are mechanically shredded at the end of their use-phase and processed into “black mass” that contains valuable raw materials like nickel, cobalt, manganese, and lithium. So far, the program has produced about 65 tons of processed black mass.
In the next phase, the black mass is further separated and refined until the materials reach both the levels of quality and purity Porsche demands from the “virgin” materials it buys for its new batteries.
In the third phase, Porsche takes the raw materials recovered from its decommissioned high-voltage batteries and makes new batteries with them, demonstrating Porsche’s, “holistic understanding of the circular economy.”
Porsche hopes its new pilot will help prepare the company for upcoming regulatory changes – for example, the expected requirements for batteries in the European Union by 2031. By adopting recycled materials early, the company says it intends to make an active contribution to the technology while further reducing its environmental impact.
New 5-passenger G30Es electric golf cart (right); via Yamaha.
Yamaha has announced plans to launch a pair of new five-seater electric golf carts featuring new lithium-ion batteries and vehicle control units developed in-house this June. The launch is scheduled to coincide with the company’s 50 year anniversary in the golf car/golf cart business.
Yamaha Motor launched its first golf cart, the YG292 “Land Car,” in June 1975. That original golf cart was powered by the company’s air-cooled, 292cc 2-stroke snowmobile engine, while its fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) composite bodywork was developed using the companies maritime and boat-building expertise.
The in-house developed batteries use lithium iron phosphate (LFP) chemistry in their cells, with the company claiming higher levels of reliability and an extended lifespan compared to other battery chemistries it’s worked with. The Yamaha batteries are available in both 4 kWh and 6 kWh capacities, enabling buyers to tailor their choice based on their individual driving range requirements, course conditions, and individual play/mobility preferences.
Both new models are 144.5″ (367 cm) long and 49.5″ (125 cm) wide, with an 84.25″ (214 cm) wheelbase, and are powered by an AC motor with, “superior speed and torque control, combined with optimized regenerative braking and a brushless design,” that, according to Yamaha, give the brand’s new golf carts far greater efficiency than the company’s previous models, resulting in 30% better efficiency.
You can check out more detailed pictures of the Yamaha-developed parts and full specs, below, then let us know what you think of the tuning fork brand’s newest mobility products in the comments.