ANDOVER, MASS. (WHDH) - Andover public schools has started using electric buses in an effort to ‘go green.’
The district received five new buses to replace older ones, with a goal to build a fleet of 10 electric buses.
Drivers and students alike said the change is good. The new buses only need a charge once the batteries have drained to about 20 percent.
“The kids love it and I love it, and the safety features are incredible,” Ken Cunha, a bus driver for Andover, said. “The amount of time it takes to charge– very little time– it’s just a wonderful bus. We plug them in, and they’ll run for 138 miles, so in my case that’s almost three days of transportation.”
“I think this bus is great,” Andover High senior Davena Halak said. “I mean diesel fumes are really bad for the environment, so I’m really glad that we’re starting to offset that.”
The buses not only help the environment, but they also use grid charging, which means when the vehicles are plugged in at the end of the day, they can help power the community.
“During peak demand in our communities we’re able to put that electricity that is stored in these buses back into the grid and help offset some of the cost of these buses,” Beacon Mobility’s Bill Griffiths said.
“These buses will contribute to reducing transportation emissions which are one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas pollution,” Tim Sheehan, of Beacon Mobility, said. “And help reduce our carbon footprint to support a clean and healthy environment for our students, drivers and communities.”
One unexpected benefit? The bus drivers said since the buses run quieter, the kids on the bus are not as loud as before.
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