Electric School Bus Pilot Programs NY Case Studies WHITE PLAINS, NY
WHERE: White Plains School District in Westchester County, NY DETAILS: This pilot has been running since the fall of 2018. White Plains School District serves more than 7,000 students and transports at least 5,000 students each day. About 57% of students are Latinx and 55% of students come from “economically disadvantaged” families. Additionally, Westchester County is known for its poor air quality, often receiving an “F” on the American Lung Association’s State of the Air report card. PLAYERS: ● ConEdison, the local electric utility ● New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) ● National Express LLC, school bus service provider ● Lion Electric Bus Company, electric school bus manufacturer NYLCVEF CLEAN BUS GUIDE
COSTS: Each bus costs approximately $365,000, compared to their diesel counterparts that cost approximately $110,000. The project was partially funded by NYSERDA’s Truck Voucher Incentive Program, which provides state grant funds for electric vehicles. National Express received a NYSERDA grant that was used to offset $120,000 of the cost of each vehicle. ConEdison paid $100,000 per bus. ConEdison and National Express paid for the chargers. National Express is paying the energy costs during the school year and all of the maintenance costs. VEHICLE-TO-GRID: ConEdison and National Express have an arrangement where ConEdison will use the buses as a grid asset during the summer peak months when they are parked at National Express’s bus depot. 19
