14 DAY TRIAL // An all-electric school bus, said to be the first-ever of its kind, will hit US roads the coming year.
The bus is developed by Motiv Power Systems and Trans Tech Bus and, according to information shared with the public, it will serve to transport students in Kings Canyon Unified School District in Central California to and from school.
Think Progress tells us that, when compared to a run-off-the-mill bus, this one might not seem like the better option at first, at least money-wise.
This is because the all-electric bus will have a price tag of $175,000 (€129,324), whereas ordinary buses cost about $75,000 (€55,424).
However, its manufacturers claim that the bus will soon enough pay for itself, seeing how using it instead of a diesel-powered bus will translate in yearly fuel savings of roughly $11,000 (€8,128).
Not to mention the fact that maintenance costs will also be considerably lower.
The same source tells us that the bus will be able to seat 32 students, or 24 students and one wheelchair, and will have a range limit of up to 100 miles (161 kilometers).
Charging it to 50% of its full capacity will take nearly an hour. However, it will take about eight hours to reach a full charge.