Electric School Buses Begin Transporting Students in Salt Lake City

New electric school buses began transporting Salt Lake City School District students this week. Two began service this week, and two more are scheduled to arrive next week.

The district’s electric buses are the first of their kind in the state. Thanks to a second grant from the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, more electric buses will be coming. Receiving these electric school buses will allow the district to retire some of its older diesel-powered buses. 

The first four buses will be used to transport students on the west side of Salt Lake City. This specific area was chosen because environmental studies show Salt Lake’s west side has some of the highest levels of pollution in the state, and the bus routes in this area will allow the district to utilize the buses to their full potential. 

The electric school buses do cost more than traditional buses, but the higher purchase price will be offset by savings in fuel and maintenance costs. The real benefit is the environmental impact. The electric school buses are zero-emissions vehicles and are extremely quiet.