Student Transportation of America (STA) says its electric vehicle program is accelerating, now stretching further into the Northeast with the addition of two new states. Through the help of both investments and grant funding, STA has successfully added four EV buses to its fleet with the Henniker School District in New Hampshire and two to Ansonia Public Schools in Connecticut.
Both districts replaced higher-emission vehicles, and the buses are being added to assigned routes in the coming weeks.
“This is a great milestone to celebrate,” says Rachel Lane, vice president of Electrification & Sustainability. “We’re not only seeing more EV buses on the road in new markets, but we’re also seeing more funding, advocacy and collaboration on the ground level. At STA, we’ve always prioritized working closely with our district partners to implement a steady — yet strategic — roll-out of EV buses. There’s no ‘one size fits all’ approach.
“For these locations, we encouraged collaboration among manufacturers, municipalities and our district partners to put the puzzle pieces together properly,” adds Lane. “Henniker and Ansonia are a testament to the impact of strong partnerships and shared goals.”
Key highlights:
- Four IC buses were purchased through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Clean School Bus Program, a rebate competition under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and assigned to Henniker School District.
- Two IC buses were purchased through the help of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) grant and assigned to Ansonia School District.
- STA selected district partners in New Hampshire and Connecticut to replace higher-emission vehicles in the existing fleet. Roll-out will begin with six IC EV buses, with additional expansion anticipated.
- STA worked with Incharge Energy Inc., as well as local contractors, to upgrade infrastructure at each district terminal.
Each district followed its own path to EV adoption through state or federal grant funding. STA helped facilitate a seamless transition to electric by sourcing grant funding, assisting with vehicle purchases, managing the installation of chargers and now overseeing day-to-day operations.
In New Hampshire, funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law allowed STA to obtain from the EPA’s Clean School Bus Program a financial grant up to $375,000 to cover the cost of replacing four school buses with zero- and low-emission models. Additionally, the grant covered up to $20,000 in charging station upgrades.
Connecticut’s DEEP supplemental grant program, a supplement to the Clean School Bus Program, provided STA up to $13.7 million to replace 17 existing school buses with zero- and low-emission models. Ansonia was the first district selected to participate in the EV program, and STA will continue to expand in the coming months.
STA’s local teams and district staffing are undergoing training in each market to learn EV processes, maintenance requirements and best practices. Lane encourages districts to educate their community on the advantages of EV, including removing exposure to tailpipe emissions, reducing noise on the road and increasing operational efficiencies.
As these buses roll out within the fleet assignments, Lane’s team will track battery life, monitor component life and collect other key data. This information gives STA actionable intelligence into the performance of EV buses within various operating environments including urban, suburban and rural areas.