SALINAS — Salinas City Elementary School District (SCESD) has added 10 new electric school buses and 10 new electric bus chargers to the District’s school bus fleet.
The new buses will primarily serve students with special needs, improving the students and drivers’ experience by providing clean and quiet transportation.
SCESD serves the second most students in Monterey County and includes 15 neighborhood schools, including the Salinas City Virtual Academy. The District strives to inspire and ensure students recognize their talents to excel, become empowered learners, and make valuable contributions to a dynamic global community.
After a competitive bid process, SCESD chose Highland Electric Fleets as an electrification partner to support its fleet modernization and its infrastructure upgrades. With the necessary infrastructure in place, SCESD’s 10 electric buses can obtain a full charge in 4.5 hours, providing an approximate range of 107 miles.
“SCESD’s dedication to being a responsible leader in their community has been truly inspiring,” said Duncan McIntyre, CEO of Highland. “We look forward to continuing to support SCECD’s electrification journey, as well as other districts throughout California and nationwide.”
The 10 EV buses will take over two routes that run an average of 14,400 miles each per school year, and eight routes that run an average of 8,100 miles each per school year.
The move to school bus electrification also supports SCESD’s efforts to help prevent student absenteeism, which significantly impacts students’ learning and social development.
The National Institute of Health reports that pediatric asthma is the leading cause of student absenteeism and is associated with greater than 10 million missed school days annually. However, children who ride electric school buses have an 8% lower risk of pediatric asthma hospitalization, according to the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
The District hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 15 to launch the new buses at the District’s Maintenance Yard in Salinas. District drivers were on hand to offer rides on two of the new buses.
