CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is set to add a trio of new, fully electric school buses to its fleet soon.
The district announced Tuesday it had partnered with Highland Electric Fleets for assistance with the grant application, and who will also provide charging infrastructure implementation. Initially, CMS will deploy three electric buses with three chargers.
The funding comes from Phase II of the North Carolina Volkswagen settlement, which is a $68 million fund for projects to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and improve air quality.
“We are extremely excited to join the ranks of school transportation systems who are embracing new technology for their fleets,” said Brian Schultz, Chief Operations Officer for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. “The buses will also reduce emissions of greenhouse gasses.”
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality awarded a total of 161 funded school bus replacements to the Phase II awardees. 43 of those buses across the state are electric and are expected to reduce NOx emissions by more than 126 tons over their lifetimes.
“North Carolina is becoming a leader in the energy transition and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ commitment to take the first steps towards electrifying their school bus fleet helps to drive the state’s clean energy goals further,” said Matt Stanberry, Vice President of Market Development at Highland. “We look forward to this partnership to help provide clean, affordable, and reliable transportation to students and the community.”
CMS notes it maintains the 10th-largest bus fleet in the United States with 1,061 buses. 836 buses are in the fleet's daily rotation, ferrying 105,000 students to and from school daily.