Two electric buses are now carrying some students to and from school in Hill County in north-central Montana, part of a fleet the state purchased using funds from a settlement with Volkswagen.
Havre Public Schools bus garage service attendant Allen Woodwick says an electric bus costs about a quarter as much as a diesel-fueled vehicle, which can rack up several thousands dollars a semester in fuel.
“Two of the parking spots have charging stations in them, so when we come in in the morning, we plug them in, and they’re ready by the afternoon,” Woodwick said.
The state purchased a total of 11 electric school busses using $12.6 million dollars from the settlement with Volkswagen. A court in 2016 determined the German car manufacturer had built diesel-fueled cars meant to defeat emissions tests.
Montana Department of Environmental Quality spokesperson Moira Davin says Havre Public Schools is the first district in the state to receive the buses. More will likely arrive this spring and summer for schools in Billings and East Helena.
