North Dakota’s West Fargo Public Schools has taken delivery of the state’s first electric school bus, a Blue Bird Vision with the Cummins PowerDrive system. The electric bus has a range of 120 miles and can operate in temperatures as low as negative 20 degrees.

Funding for the bus was provided by the North Dakota Department of Commerce, the Coalition for a Secure Energy Future, and Cass County Electric. The school district has 54 buses in its fleet and intends to add more EVs if it receives more grant money.

Brad Redmond, West Fargo Public Schools’ Transportation Director, said, “We’re estimating that we will save approximately 70 percent in energy costs and 70 to 80 percent in maintenance costs. By reducing costs and the impact on air quality, our Blue Bird electric bus benefits our community greatly.”

Source: Blue Bird