Electric school buses and the path to decarbonization

How a leading school bus company is taking the wheel to methodically electrify its fleet.

The story

Approximately 20,000 diesel school buses hit the roads in Ontario every day. If these were electric school buses, we could eliminate 340,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions yearly, reduce health risks for students, lighten the strain on our healthcare system and improve drivers’ quality of life.

It sounds like a no-brainer, right?
So what’s the holdup?

The path to electrifying school buses is anything but direct. It’s still new territory, and decision makers have questions:

Which EVs are best for my needs? How do I maintain them? Do I have enough electrical capacity to charge them? Do I have to pause my operations for the install?

And the list goes on.

One of Ontario’s biggest school bus lines shared these questions, but it struggled to find answers. And sales pressure from charger and vehicle manufacturers wasn’t helping.

Still, the bus line was committed to making the shift. It wanted to do its part to cut emissions and set an example as an early adopter in its industry. All that was missing was a partner to guide the way.

But here’s the thing: electrifying a fleet requires several specialties. It takes designers, electrical contractors, engineers to do route studies, etc. It’s almost impossible to know where to start. Emphasis on almost.

After a rigorous vetting process, the bus company partnered with Envari Energy Solutions. Not only could Envari act as an owner’s engineer – a one-stop-shop for all facets of the job – but the team’s demonstrated knowledge, transparency and consistency brought clarity to a world of complexity. As well, there was no pressure to purchase a particular product, just an unwavering, unbiased commitment to protecting the client’s best interests.

Specifically, the client valued Envari’s stepped methodology to strategize everything related to the project’s systems, operations, finances, risk management and environmental benefits. No stone would be left unturned, from assessing charging infrastructure, bus technologies and electrical upgrades, to estimating total-cost-of-ownership savings, building out procurement plans, and identifying any resources, skills or training needed post-commissioning.

This structured approach demonstrated a deep understanding of what’s involved in
electrification, could address the client’s questions along the way and could meet the federal government’s stringent requirements for funding incentives. It was time to get to work.

Planning for the long-term, Envari helped the customer define a realistic and practical conversion schedule – because no one flips a switch and magically converts overnight. This meant starting with roughly a third of its assets based on regular fleet turnover, buses that would’ve needed replacing anyway.

But there was more to consider. The bus line operates from 11 sites and across a vast route network.

It was critical to conduct a detailed route study to make data-driven decisions around battery requirements, vehicle procurement, charging infrastructure, electrical capacity and more.

Other considerations included the need for fleet management software, mobile charging solutions and an optimal charging schedule to minimize electricity costs. All of this was unearthed through Envari’s stepped methodology.

But there was more to consider. The bus line operates from 11 sites and across a vast route network.

It was critical to conduct a detailed route study to make data-driven decisions around battery requirements, vehicle procurement, charging infrastructure, electrical capacity and more.

This level of planning requires meticulous attention, but it’s the only way to build a smart, future-proof strategy for electrification.

The good news is that financial support for transit electrification is at an all-time high. It’s just a matter of having the time and resources to build your case.

Envari did the heavy lifting so that the client could focus on running its business, successfully securing funding from the federal government’s Zero Emission Transit Fund. The fund covers up to 80% of planning costs and up to 50% of capital costs.

As the cost of diesel rises, so does the business case for electrification. More and more businesses, municipalities and even provinces are taking steps to convert. At the same time, people still have questions, the landscape is still changing and sales reps are still knocking on bus operators’ doors, pushing their products and services.

To navigate fleet electrification, you need a partner you can trust with the right electrical engineering experts, project managers, procurement experience and funding track record to successfully steer your transition.