(Chad Archey, Energy Analytics Institute, 10.Dec.2024) — Dixie County Public Schools (DCPS) announced the deployment of 23 new electric school buses, making it one of the largest electric school bus fleets in Florida.
DCPS has acquired 23 brand-new electric buses to replace a portion of its existing fleet of 37 diesel buses. With the deployment of the full electric fleet, the district will phase out diesel buses for daily routes, the DCPS and Highland Electric Fleets said 10 Dec. 2024 in official statements.
The initiative was funded by a $9mn rebate from the Environmental Protection Agency‘s Clean School Bus Program, and marks a major step forward in the district’s efforts to improve air quality and reduce emissions.
In the initiative, DCPS has partnered with Thomas Built Buses, Matthews Buses and Highland Electric Fleets, North America’s leading provider of Electrification-as-a-Service (EaaS), to implement this project, positioning Dixie County as one of 12 Florida counties to receive federal funding for clean school buses since 2022.
DCPS’ 23 new electric buses will collectively travel 270,000 miles annually. By avoiding 228 metric tons of CO2 emissions, the electric buses will improve air quality for students and the community, while also cutting fuel and maintenance costs, generating significant savings.
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By Chad Archey reporting from Atlanta. © Energy Analytics Institute (EAI). All Rights Reserved.
