FAQs

Who makes the plug-in hybrid electric school bus?
What is Advanced Energy's role in the PHESB Project?
How do schools order a plug-in hybrid school bus?
How much does a bus cost?
How many buses need to be ordered at once?
How do you pay for the extra costs?
Are there any tax credits available?
What is a hybrid vehicle?
Are there different types of hybrids?
Why are hybrids more efficient?
How does a plug-in hybrid differ from a conventional hybrid?
Is a plug-in hybrid a good choice for me?
What is the fuel economy of the plug-in buses?
Do plug-in hybrid buses work as well as standard diesel buses?
Are there any problems with the hybrid buses that regular buses don't have?
How can I rent or borrow a plug-in hybrid bus for an event?
Does a school district have to buy hybrid buses through Advanced Energy’s consortium?
How do I learn more about the plug-in hybrid electric school bus?

The Class C PHESB is a partnership between IC Bus, the bus manufacturer, and Enova Systems, the hybrid system manufacturer.

Advanced Energy is both a technical driver and facilitator for the program. We facilitate the technology between buyers, government agencies, bus companies, funding organizations and hybrid companies. AE works to drive the market transformation that is necessary to increase the quality and decrease the price of these vehicles. In addition, AE performs testing, monitoring and modeling to evaluate the performance of the vehicles.

Plug-in hybrid school buses are commercially available through IC Bus. To inquire about purchasing a bus, locate a dealer through the IC Bus web site and contact them directly regarding availability.

A Type C plug-in hybrid electric school bus will cost approximately $180,000-$230,000. There is an approximately $100,000 premium in addition to the base cost of a standard diesel bus, depending on bus specifications.

There is no minimum number of buses that must be purchased.

Schools often pay for the additional cost of the hybrid bus with grant money. For federal grant opportunities, visit www.grants.gov. You may also want to speak with your state environmental agency, State Energy Office and other transportation or environmental groups and coalitions such as your local Clean Cities Coalition.

The Alternative Motor Vehicle Credit, enacted by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 provides tax credits to the purchaser of the vehicle based on a portion of the vehicle’s incremental cost. However, the local bus dealers are the recipient of the tax credit. You should ask your bus dealer if they can pass on any of the credit to you, the end user of the bus.

A hybrid vehicle has two or more methods for storing energy to move the vehicle. The modern hybrid uses an electric motor in addition to a gasoline or diesel engine. Typically, an electric battery stores and supplies energy for the electric motor and the fuel tank stores energy for the engine. A hybrid vehicle therefore contains all the parts and pieces of a conventional vehicle. It also has an electric motor, batteries and additional electronics to coordinate between the motor and engine. Conventional hybrids charge their batteries through regenerative braking, whereas plug-in hybrids also recharge by plugging into the electric power grid.

Hybrid vehicles have two common configurations: parallel and series. In the parallel configuration, the engine and/or the motor can provide power to the transmission at the same time. Electronic controls adjust the balance of power delivery based upon maximum efficiency and battery energy level. Commercial passenger cars available today like the Toyota Prius and Honda Civic Hybrid are considered parallel hybrids. In a series hybrid, only the electric motor actually drives the wheels. The engine turns a small generator that creates electricity that recharges the batteries. Again, electronic controls adjust the engine load as required to optimize efficiency and minimize emissions.

A hybrid reduces fuel consumption by allowing the engine to operate closer to its maximum efficiency. To do this, part of the load in a hybrid is provided by an electric motor. Motors are very efficient at most speeds and loads. They are also capable of providing high power at low speeds. This capability makes them well matched for the needs of a vehicle. Hybrids also reduce fuel consumption by allowing the engine to be smaller. Since the electric motor is now providing some of the required load, the engine does not need to provide as much power. Engine power increases with size, but engine efficiency typically decreases as the engine gets larger. In a hybrid, the engine is smaller and is operated more efficiently than that of a comparable conventional vehicle.

Hybrid vehicles can be designed such that the vehicle receives some energy from the electric power grid. This is known as a plug-in hybrid. Plug-in hybrids typically have more battery capacity and a different control strategy than standard hybrid vehicles, as well as a method for plugging in to a charging station or outlet.

Plug-in hybrid technology does best on routes with many stops, little highway driving and a total trip length of less than 40 miles. Route selection is critical to selecting and placing a hybrid vehicle for optimal performance. Advanced Energy engineers can provide assistance in selecting a route that is most suitable for a plug-in hybrid bus.

Fuel economy varies with location, route, temperature and even the driver. To establish a baseline, the vehicles have been tested on a standard route in a test laboratory using a dynamometer. Using the West Virginia University Suburban Cycle, the plug-in buses averaged 12.9 miles per gallon (mpg), an 82 percent improvement over the measured mpg of a conventional diesel bus. Field testing has shown fuel economy improvements ranging from 10 percent to 75 percent depending on the bus route; however, field testing has also shown hybrid buses being out-performed by their standard diesel counterparts.

Hybrid vehicles, in general, are very sensitive to how you use them. The way that the bus is used has a big influence on how the vehicle will perform. In the case of the plug-in hybrid school bus, some of the key things you have to pay attention to are route and mileage. If the hybrid bus is operated properly it can significantly outperform a standard diesel bus (in terms of fuel economy). However, Advanced Energy has also seen hybrid buses that get worse fuel economy than a standard bus. Generally a hybrid bus works best on routes without many highway miles and with a lot of stop-and-go driving. They also work best when allowed a several hour mid-day recharging time. One of the factors Advanced Energy focuses on is helping school districts select routes in which the hybrid bus will achieve optimal performance.

There have been some initial “bugs” to work out with the hybrid system, as is the case whenever you introduce a new technology. In general, the plug-in hybrid buses should have reduced maintenance over a regular bus. This is because the hybrid system reduces wear on the engine and the brakes.

Buses are owned by individual school districts and they make the final decision about how to best use these resources. Contact IC Bus and they can direct you to the nearest PHESB in your region.

You don’t have to join Advanced Energy’s PHESB consortium to purchase a bus. In the initial stages of the project, the consortium served as an advisory group of people interested in the development or purchase of a plug-in hybrid school bus. The consortium helped us gather funding, write a technical specification for the bus and partner with the school bus industry. Today, the consortium functions more as a forum for sharing information. We have periodic meetings to discuss how the buses are performing, what (if any) problems have been encountered and how the project should continue going forward. While it’s not a requirement to participate in the consortium if you purchase a bus, it is a good resource for districts with new buses.

For more information about the plug-in hybrid electric school bus project, please contact Advanced Energy at 919-857-9000 or hybridschoolbus@advancedenergy.org. Advanced Energy also issues a newsletter with updates on the program. You can find previous newsletters and sign up to receive the newsletter on our website.