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Electric School Buses Moonlight As Power Plants In Oakland

Author: Max McDee May 16, 2024

The humble yellow school bus just got a complete makeover. Out of all places, Oakland has taken the lead in the electrification efforts. Gone are the smelly diesel buses, replaced with a fleet of 74 new, shiny electric ones. While their daily job is straightforward, they have a secret mission every night.

Double Life Of A School Bus

Oakland, California, is the first place in the U.S. to fully take advantage of electrified school transport. During the day, the 74 new all-electric buses ferry the kids to and from school, as you would expect from a yellow bus. But once their duty is done, when they are parked up and not being used, they act as backup generators, sending the power back to the grid and making money in the process.

These buses have vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology installed. While they charge at night, like any other vehicle, using cheaper electricity, when they aren’t used between school runs, they send some of that electricity back to the grid and pocket the price difference. Buy it cheap — sell it for more. Who knew the school bus could make money one day?

More To It Than Just Money

The money-making situation is actually just a side effect of the primary goal. The Oakland Unified School District’s transportation director put it best: “The families of Oakland are disproportionately disadvantaged and affected by high rates of asthma and exposure to air pollution from diesel fuels.” With the fleet of new electric buses, kids can breathe easier on their way to school, and that has to be a good thing.

Zum, the company behind the electric school bus initiative, claims the Oakland fleet will put back to the grid as much as 2.1 gigawatt-hours of electricity annually. That’s enough juice to power 200 homes for 12 months.

The company already operates similar commercial vehicle schemes in 14 states. Still, after the school bus project in Oakland, there are already inquiries from San Francisco and Los Angeles. Each of the $120,000 buses can cover 120 miles a day, and it recharges in under eight hours during the night. While they are far more expensive than the average $65,000 Type B school bus, they will recoup some of that cost by selling electricity back to the grid and will save a fortune in maintenance costs. And our kids’ health? That’s priceless.

Author: Max McDee

Title: Author

Expertise: cars, motorcycles, airplanes, boats

Bio:

Max is a gearhead through and through. With a wrench in one hand and a pen in the other, Max has spent the past thirty years building and racing some of the most impressive vehicles you’ll ever lay your eyes on. Be it cars, motorcycles, or boats, Max has a way of taking raw mechanical power and turning it into a work of art. He’s not just a talented engineer, either – he’s a true industry insider, with a wealth of knowledge and a love for a good story.

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Share on X (Twitter) Share on Facebook Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit <use href="#<svg width="1em" height="1em" viewBox="0 0 32 32" class="scriptlesssocialsharing__icon flipboard" fill="currentcolor" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false" role="img"> <title>flipboard</title> <path d="M24.997 13.001h-5.998v5.998h-5.998v5.998h-5.998v-17.995h17.995zM1.004 1.004v29.991h29.991v-29.991z"></path> </svg>" xlink:href="# flipboard “> Share on Flip itThe humble yellow school bus just got a complete makeover. Out of all places, Oakland has…

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Autos

Electric School Buses Moonlight As Power Plants In Oakland

Double Life Of A School Bus

More To It Than Just Money

Author: Max McDee

Title: Author

Expertise: cars, motorcycles, airplanes, boats

Bio:

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Double Life Of A School Bus

More To It Than Just Money

Author: Max McDee

Title: Author

Expertise: cars, motorcycles, airplanes, boats

Bio:

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