West suburban school district makes a third of bus fleet electric

AURORA, Ill. (WLS) -- West Aurora School District 129's motto is "go big or go home."

While some school districts have brought in one or two electric buses on as an experiment, West Aurora has brought in 27 of them: the most in the area and one-third of their fleet.

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The first thing you notice about the electric school bus is what you don't hear: engine noise. A low humming noise is all you might hear as the bus goes down the road. It makes it easier for driver Luther Somerville to hear what's going on inside the bus, too: kids beware.

"I hear a lot more now, hear 'em better. Before with the engine going, you could hear but you couldn't understand," Somerville said.

District leaders started looking at electric buses three years ago. And when they realized the incentives made the vehicles less expensive than gas buses, the district went all in.

"We sort of felt like, if we're gonna do this and we believe in it, why wouldn't we do it all at once and not have multiple implementations? Just rip the BAND-AID. Do it once," Associate Superintendent Angie Smith said.

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ComEd presented the district with a check for $930,000: a rebate for going electric. And the district got other incentives, including $5 million from the federal Environmental Protection Agency to put in charging stations. Electric buses typically cost twice as much as gas buses. But the incentives brought the price down by more than half.

"It's a big step forward, and I think that speaks to the school district to bring clean, quiet and cost effective technology to the students and community," said Joshua Williams, with Highland Electric Fleet.

Electric vehicles mean no emissions, and no gas stations. The batteries have a range of up to 100 miles before they need to be recharged. That's enough for some bus routes, but the district will still have plenty of gas buses for the longer runs.

Those on the electric buses will need to be on time in the morning.

"That's one of the biggest challenges the students will have to get used to. They won't hear the school bus coming down the road," District 129 Transportation Director Brandy Kackert said.

The West Aurora District has plans to become even more energy efficient. They're going to put up a canopy over charging stations with solar panels on top to provide more electricity.