(SHEPHERDSVILLE, KY - May 1, 2012) Bullitt County
Schools took delivery of their first new hybrid electric
school buses Tuesday.
“We always want to be on the cutting edge with new
technology,” says Transportation Director Ida Prather.
“Saving money while helping the environment is a bonus
for our community, not just the school system, she
added.”
The five new buses are manufactured by International Bus
and use an Eaton Hybrid System, a regenerative system
that puts power back into the hybrid battery when the
driver applies the brakes. Stop and start routes that
generally do not exceed 50 mph provide the best
performance for the hybrid system. Hybrid electric buses
already in operation across the state are seeing 30% or
greater fuel savings.
District bus drivers, mechanics, and first responders
were all trained highlighting best operational practices
for the hybrid-electric system.
Thirty-five school districts across Kentucky currently
operate 160 hybrid electric buses. Kentucky is home to
the largest hybrid electric school bus fleet in the
nation. Over 200 hybrid buses will be purchased with a
$12.89 million dollar grant from the U.S. Department of
Energy awarded in December 2009.
Bullitt County Schools Superintendent Keith Davis notes
“We are very excited about the hybrid bus program and
appreciative of the grant funding to ensure that they
cost our local district no more than conventional buses.
If, as expected, they save us money on the fuel budget,
that is more funding that can be used to provide more
educational opportunities for the students we serve.”
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