As the autumn breeze ushers in a new school year, New Brunswick stands on the cusp of innovation and sustainability. Twenty cutting-edge electric school buses have been deployed in select schools across New Brunswick as part of the government’s commitment to electrifying our provincial fleet of school buses.
Electric school buses are a modern, sustainable alternative to traditional diesel-powered school buses that reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change and air pollution. From the outside, they resemble diesel buses with blue fenders. But that’s not the best thing about them. It’s the lack of noise we associate with school buses.
In fact, they are so quiet that electric bus designers had to include an artificial sound when they slow down – an ice cream truck-like jingle – just so that pedestrians can hear them approach.
If your child is lucky enough to ride aboard one of these high-tech vehicles, not only will they experience a quieter, calmer commute to school, but also have a reduced risk of developing health conditions linked to air pollution, such as respiratory diseases, asthma cancer, ADHD and brain fog.
Initially chosen for their consistent routes and timings within a limited area, the first cities to see these electric school buses will be Saint John and Moncton. However, with a driving range between 100-250 kilometers per charge, most of New Brunswick’s 300 schools could be served by electric buses. Considering buses rarely drive more than 100 km to get to school, rural parents have nothing to worry about.
Prince Edward Island is an excellent example. The province began electrifying its school bus fleet in 2021 with the purchase of 47 electric school buses. Having proved the concept and seen the health and cost saving benefits, the province has since expanded their fleet to over 80 vehicles and shows no signs of slowing down.
Despite P.E.I.’s ongoing success with electric buses, skeptics still question whether N.B.’s energy grid is up to the task. But what they don’t realize is that each bus comes with its own at-home charging station, meaning electric buses can be charged overnight during off-peak hours. Consequently, twenty buses wouldn’t affect the grid much.
As it turns out, electric buses actually strengthen a grid’s resilience and ability to handle emergency events due to its battery and two-way flow of electricity. An example of this can be seen at North Rustico’s Lion’s Club in P.E.I., where – thanks to their hefty storage capacity – citizens can warm up, get a hot meal and even charge their electronic devices during power outages.
Although P.E.I. is leading the shift to electric school buses in Atlantic Canada, three Atlantic provinces – N.B., N.S. and N.L. – are conducting feasibility studies on electric school buses, with New Brunswick’s feasibility study due in October.
Hundreds of New Brunswickers have added their names to our petition calling on the provincial government to stop buying outdated diesel buses when healthier, quieter and more cost effective options are available.
Considering New Brunswick’s questionable track record on climate policy, it’s crucial that we exercise our power as citizens to keep pressure on the provincial government.
For New Brunswick’s children, the future is bright – cleaner air, healthier lives, and a brighter future awaits.
This story was brought to Nouzie by RSS. The original post can be found on https://www.conservationcouncil.ca/new-brunswick-welcomes-kids-back-to-school-with-20-new-electric-school-buses/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=new-brunswick-welcomes-kids-back-to-school-with-20-new-electric-school-buses
