Image via FCPS Office of Communication & Community Relations

The Fairfax County School Board has officially dedicated its fleet of buses to carbon neutrality by 2040. Fairfax County wields the second largest school bus fleet in the country, coming in at 1,625 diesel buses, compared to a total of 17,000 in Virginia. With eight electric buses in operation and ten more on the way, the massive fleet is on the way to electric rides for all 140,000 student riders and drivers.

FCPS won the buses in a competitive process in 2019 from Dominion Energy, said a spokesperson for the county. Dominion Energy covers the difference in cost so that school districts pay no more for electric buses than they would for diesel models. The required charging stations have been installed and are maintained by Dominion at the Stonecroft Transportation Center located in Chantilly. Dominion Energy, the School Board, and FCPS agreed on a charging site owned by the school district that had high Vehicle to Grid charging potential(which powers bi-directional charging) while still meeting FCPS’ transportation needs. Then, FCPS selected routes for the electric school buses based on charging availability. The district began with routes that were less than 70 miles a day, although the buses can travel more than 134 miles on a charge. Finally, the school district surveyed drivers and provided training for those interested. Drivers quickly adapted to the new technology and now enjoy the quieter bus. One driver called the experience smooth and relaxing, reducing the wear and tear on her body. So far, around 1,200 students have ridden on the electric buses.

FCPS additionally applied for and received another grant from the Department of Environmental Quality for an additional 10 electric buses and received them by summer 2022. Around the same time, the county also launched a fleet of electric trash trucks as part of the all-electric effort.

Dominion and FCPS have only reported minor operational improvements to be made in the last few months. In colder months, the buses pull heat directly from the battery, reducing charge by up to 20%.

Looking ahead, funding large-scale electrification will be a substantial undertaking given the size of the school district’s fleet. It will also take many years, given the annual turnover of 100 vehicles per year. Fortunately, those many buses will be supported in the long term, as each bus has an average lifespan of 15 years and an additional 15 year extended warranty on the batteries. Additionally, the first seven years of each bus’s warranty will be covered in full by Dominion.