Schools Turn to Electric Buses to Solve Old Problems

The last decade has not been kind to the familiar yellow school bus.

The lumbering coaches have come under fire from clean-air advocates troubled by the black exhaust billowing from the tailpipes. Parents have demanded that seat belts be installed to protect their children.

To make matters worse, cash-strapped school districts started charging students as much as $1 a ride and eliminated service to some neighborhoods and campuses.

But the big buses are about to get a break. This fall, the first electric-powered school buses will roll along Orange County streets. Not only will the vehicles reduce air pollution, educators say, they will cut maintenance and operation costs in half.

“They don’t need gasoline. They don’t need oil changes. They don’t need fuel-injector cleaning,” said Sam Atwood, spokesman for the South Coast Air Quality Management District, which provided grants to help pay for the buses. “It makes sense for schools.”

Battery-powered buses are made by several firms, including Blue Bird Corp., Westinghouse Electric and Specialty Vehicles. They resemble their diesel counterparts and can carry as many as 50 passengers. They must be recharged after 60 to 80 miles of travel.

Fullerton Joint Union High School District expects to receive its first electric bus in time for the opening of school in September. Newport-Mesa Unified hopes to have two coaches for fall, and Capistrano Unified has ordered one to be delivered within a few months.

In some cases, the new models will replace classic bullet-shaped buses made in the early 1960s, before some of the parents of today’s students were born. Many of those aging vehicles have logged more than 1 million miles.

“Those buses were built like tanks,” said Ron Kinney, transportation supervisor for the state Department of Education. “They were high-quality, top-of-the-line models that held up very well. . . . But they won’t be around forever.”

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Though electric coaches won’t wipe out the financial problems facing school transit programs, officials said, the innovation will make operations more efficient and help address some common complaints about buses.

For one thing, the new coaches offer a much quieter ride than those powered by thundering diesel engines, which regularly prompt complaints from residents bothered by the noise and vibration.

Dark plumes of exhaust will no longer be emitted, either, a triumph for environmentalists. Diesel smoke, they say, contains pollutants that form ozone smog as well as microscopic particles that might pose a health risk.

“Diesel is a good fuel in terms of economy,” Atwood of AQMD said. “But it’s definitely a dirty fuel in terms of the environment.”

The biggest drawback with the electric bus is its limited range. Districts plan to operate the buses morning and afternoon, then recharge them overnight. They won’t be used for long distances.

“We have routes that will fit this,” said Jerry Hart, director of transportation operations for the Fullerton district. “We probably wouldn’t use them for field trips.”

Another potential problem is price: Electric buses sell for $150,000 or more apiece, compared to $75,000 and $100,000 for diesel models.

The school districts are getting a bargain, though, for their first battery-operated buses. AQMD will provide matching funds to the Capistrano and Newport-Mesa districts that in effect cut the price in half. Grants will cover all the costs of Fullerton’s bus.

Given the limitations, some school systems are using their clean-air grants to purchase natural gas-powered buses, which are clean-burning and more quiet than diesel coaches. But they require the costly installation of fuel-storage tanks.

Anaheim Union High School District has ordered two natural gas buses, which are due to arrive next year. Transportation Director John Jessie said officials considered purchasing electric coaches but decided the technology simply wasn’t proven.

“We weren’t satisfied about the costs and effectiveness yet,” Jessie said.

Regardless of which type of bus a district selects, educators emphasize that switching to a more energy-efficient system only begins to address the larger financial problems facing school transportation programs across the state.

To cope with state funding cuts, school districts have raised transit fees to as much as $150 a year for all but special-education students. As a result, ridership has dropped as parents form carpools and students walk or ride their bikes to school.

About 17% of California public education students now ride the bus, down from 22% a few years ago. Nationwide, about 54% of students ride the bus, according to the Department of Education.

School transit programs face a challenging future, Kinney said, because officials are unlikely to cut classroom programs to fund bus services.

“It’s really about the schoolhouse versus the school bus,” Kinney said. “People usually want money placed in the schoolhouse.”

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New Models

In the next few months, electric buses will be delivered to schools in Fullerton, Costa Mesa, Newport Beach and San Juan Capistrano. The battery- powered vehicles will replace aging diesel models. The Anaheim Union High School District will soon begin using two natural gas- powered buses. Some benefits and drawbacks:

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Electric Power

Pros

* Does not emit polluting exhaust.

* Does not require gasoline or oil.

Cons

* Needs to be recharged every 60 to 80 miles.

* Technology is new and fairly untested.

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Natural Gas

Pros

* Burns cleaner than diesel fuel

* Can take a vehicle farther than electric power

Cons

* Engine produces some emissions

* Requires installation of costly fuel storage tanks

Sources: Times reports; Researched by SHELBY GRAD / For The Times