Pine-Richland doubles electric buses in fleet to 6

Pine-Richland School District and its transportation contractor, Student Transportation of America, have doubled their fleet of electric buses to six, thanks in part to funding from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program, the district announced.

As part of the debut of the additional buses, members of Eden Hall Upper Elementary School’s Sustainability Club got to see an electric bus up close after talking about the benefits of electric vehicles in their club meetings.

The six electric buses are among 81 in total servicing Pine-Richland, district spokeswoman Erin Hasinger said.

“We’re thrilled to expand our electric bus fleet to six, providing cleaner, quieter and more efficient transportation for our students,” said John Stoughton, assistant director of athletics and transportation and facility coordinator. “Thanks to support from the EPA’s Clean School Bus Program and our partners at Student Transportation of America, our electric buses are helping reduce emissions, save fuel costs and give students a firsthand look at the future of sustainable transportation.”

Pine-Richland introduced its first three EV buses in May 2023.

During the 2024-25 school year, Pine-Richland’s electric buses and other electric vehicles covered nearly 43,000 miles combined, saving more than $21,000 in fuel costs — savings that could double in the current school year.

In addition to the gas savings, the benefits of electric vehicles include reduced noise, no diesel fumes and fewer maintenance costs, according to the district. Pine-Richland’s first three electric buses eliminated 35.8 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in tailpipe greenhouse gas emissions this past school year.

Electric school buses average a range of 135 miles and, in optimal conditions, can reach 150 miles on one charge, according to the district. Buses take an average of six to eight hours to charge completely.

The new buses will use the charging infrastructure that was installed for the first three buses, which was funded in part by Duquesne Light’s Make Ready Program.