Broward County (Fla.) district acquires 60 electric school buses

The Broward County (Fla.) district has acquired 60 zero-emission electric school buses, making it the first school system in south Florida to put electric buses on the road as part of its fleet

The district says the vehicles will begin transporting students in the 2023-24 school year. The school system transports 54,000 students a day to and from their campuses.

Each electric bus is a standard 72-passenger vehicle that produces no emissions at the tailpipe and is quiet on the road.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection awarded the Broward County district a grant of more than $14.8 million to buy the buses. The vehicles will replace older diesel school buses built in or before 2009. To complete the needed infrastructure to operate the buses, Florida Power & Light Company has obtained a federal grant and partnered with the district to install charging stations at the district's six transportation terminals. 

“When these electric buses hit Broward County roads...our district will be operating the largest fleet of electric buses in the state and, most significantly, taking an important step toward providing a healthier environment for all of us,” said Interim Broward County Superintendent Earlean Smiley. 

The school district’s Student Transportation and Fleet Services Department operates more than 1,200 buses; about 950 are used to transport students during daily routes.