Wauconda rolls out electric school buses in District 118

WAUCONDA, Ill. (WLS) -- School bus drivers in north suburban Wauconda are among the first in the state to get behind the wheel of new electric school buses.

The first thing you notice is the relative quiet: a school buys going by, barely making a sound, with no loud diesel engine noise.

"The hype has been so good, so we're hoping they live up to the expectations," said Rick Strauss, transportation supervisor for School District 118.

The electric buses look pretty much like the traditional ones, but all the mechanicals are in the rear which is also where the charger plugs in. They need to charge for four to eight hours and have a range of about 100 miles before needing to be recharged.

For the drivers, it takes a little getting used to.

"It doesn't have a gear-shifter. It just has buttons you push to get it going. And it's open here because the engines missing from right here," said Melissa Bowers, driver and trainer.

The electric buses cost more than twice as much as traditional buses; a state grant covered much of the cost for two in Wauconda. But even though the district is rolling out two of the new buses, they are still struggling to find drivers to get behind the wheel. They've had to combine routes and alter pick-up schedules.

The district even produced a video to help recruit new drivers.

"Since the pandemic the industry has struggled in a way I've never seen before," Strauss said.

In the meantime, the new buses will save on energy costs, and without the diesel exhaust will be good for the environment.

While they still have bugs to be worked out, it will be some time before gas pumps are no longer needed. But they do say electric buses appear to be the wave of the future.