On February 13, the Branford School System held a launch ceremony for the installation of charging facilities for 46 new electric buses. These buses will completely replace the existing diesel fleet and will be operated by Zum Bus, who also manufactures the vehicles.

 

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Image: Ground breaking ceremony with Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz is fourth from left. Photos courtesy of Jeffrey Gross

 

The Branford fleet will be the largest in New England and second only to Oakland Unified Schools in California, the home state of Zum. Anticipating by many years the statutory requirement (PA 22-25) that all school buses acquired in Connecticut starting in 2035 must be zero-emission, the new buses will provide many benefits to Branford students:

 

• Freedom from diesel fumes rich in particulate matter, including suspected carcinogens

• Advanced tracking of students boarding and disembarking from the buses

• GPS telemetry of buses during their scheduled routes

• 98% on-time performance has already been observed, based on temporary installation of telemetry equipment in the existing fleet

• Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) capabilities will enable each bus to 'earn' up to $10,000/year by exporting electricity to the grid, particularly during hot summers when school is in recess and electricity demand is high

• A single bus will be able to power a school building for up to 5 hours in the event of a grid outage

 

 

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Images: Inside the school bus (left) and the daily charging cycle (right). Photos courtesy of Jeffrey Gross

 

Extensive engineering analysis has been undertaken to ensure the fleet will meet students' needs, particularly during the challenging winter months when cabin heating is required and batteries — though normally thermally managed — may be exposed to low ambient temperatures. A typical day would see a bus begin morning routes with a full charge, return to the depot to recharge (possibly absorbing surplus midday solar power) before afternoon routes, and then charge fully overnight when electricity rates are lowest.

 

The $60 million contract with Zum runs for 10 years, with the buses amortizing over the contract period, and is comparable in cost to what similar school districts spend annually using diesel technology. Equipment will be installed during Summer 2026 for the start of the 2026–2027 school year.

 

General Background: The country’s biggest electric school-bus fleet will also feed the grid

 

 

Jeff Gross is a Sierra Club Connecticut Volunteer.