3 Atlantic provinces eye electrification of school bus fleet

Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador are considering electrifying their school bus fleets.

The province of Nova Scotia issued a tender Thursday on behalf of the Council of Atlantic Ministers of Education and Training for a feasibility study of electric school buses.

"Atlantic provinces have mainly purchased diesel, gasoline, and propane buses, but are now in a position to consider the feasibility of adopting cleaner transportation options with the purchase of electric school buses by transitioning its transportation system away from greenhouse gas emitting vehicles," the tender reads.

The region has purchased school buses jointly in the past to save on costs. Prince Edward Island has already incorporated dozens of electric school buses into its fleet.

The study will look at how electric school buses are being used across Canada and identify infrastructure needs, including energy requirements, grid capacity and potential limitations.

It will also explore federal funding opportunities and estimate cost savings and greenhouse gas reductions.

Sticker price higher but operation cost lower

Lion Electric, based in Saint-Jérôme, Que., manufactures electric school buses and put its first one on the road in 2016. The company supplies the buses to jurisdictions across Canada, including London, Ont., and P.E.I.

Company vice-president Patrick Gervais said electric school buses have many advantages.

"First, there are no noise pollution. They're silent, there's no vibration, there's no fumes smell," he said. 

"Obviously it's also good for the environment, so, you know, you're saving about 23 tonnes of GHG [greenhouse gas] emission per year on the school bus. So there's only positive thing about school buses."

Gervais said buses can go up to about 250 kilometres on a single charge — which makes about 80 per cent of Canadian bus routes within the buses' range.

The length of time it takes to fully charge a bus depends on the type of charging station. A Level 2 charging station takes about six to seven hours, while a Level 3 charging station takes just two hours.

Gervais said potential buyers usually come in with three main concerns about electric school buses: how far buses can go on a charge, the change in routine involved in charging buses and the price.

Electric school buses cost $270,000 to $320,000 depending on the type, while diesel buses sell for between $100,000 and $150,000.

But Gervais said the cost of operating an electric vehicle is about 80 per cent lower than costs for diesel buses, and maintenance costs are also lower.