Today, the Coalition helped unveil the state's first electric school bus in West Fargo. This Bluebird bus uses homegrown North Dakota energy including lignite coal to charge up and carry students across the district. A typical diesel bus costs about 44 cents per mile, this coal powered bus is about 9 cents per mile.
WEST FARGO — North Dakota’s first all-electric school bus made a quiet entrance Monday, June 3, at the West Fargo School District.
In November, the West Fargo School Board approved spending about $314,000 on the bus, which is expected to save the district about 70 percent of operational and maintenance costs of a traditional bus.
“By reducing costs and the impact on air quality, our Blue Bird electric bus benefits our community greatly,” said Brad Redmond, West Fargo Public Schools’ transportation director.
The school district received $70,000 from the North Dakota Department of Commerce Energy Program, $40,000 from the Coalition for a Secure Energy Future and $40,000 from Cass County Electric and Minnkota Power Cooperative to buy the electric bus.