Santa Cruz City Schools Prepares to Deploy All-Electric Type-A Buses by RIDE
Santa Cruz City Schools is somewhat unique in the state of California , in that it is comprised of two school districts governed by a single school board . Consisting of three high schools , two middle schools , four elementary schools , a continuation school , and charter school in Santa Cruz County , its transportation department also handles special needs / special day classes for all the county ’ s schools . Emil Frates , transportation supervisor for the district , said the district has upgraded its fleet over the past nine years . It now stands at eight electric buses , plus 12 additional vehicles running on either diesel or gasoline .
The Type A by RIDE Santa Cruz City Schools recently took delivery of three 26.7-foot Type A all-electric school buses from RIDE , utilizing a mix of grant awards , matching funds from the Monterey Bay Air Resources District ’ s Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project ( HVIP ), as well as Central Coast Community Energy ( 3CE ). RIDE ’ s Type A features vehicle-to-grid ( V2G ) technology , which lets the bus serve as a clean-energy power source for districts whenever it is not in use . RIDE representatives said the bus has up to 60 percent lower maintenance and energy costs compared to its competitors . The iron-phosphate batteries , which RIDE touts as some of the industry ’ s safest , include a 12-year warranty for districts – ensuring cost-free battery replacement for the vehicle ’ s standard service life . With a top speed of 65 miles per hour and a range of 105 miles , the Type A is perfect for smaller and midsized districts looking to optimize routing for its students . In addition to the standard 26.7- foot design , 24.6-foot and 22.9-foot options are available .
10 | SCHOOL-BUSRIDE . COM | APRIL 2024