Plug-in Hybrid Electric School Bus Project

The History of the Plug-In Hybrid Electric School Bus

The Importance of District Participation

School districts play a vital role in the continued success of the PHESB Project. District Representatives champion the implementation of PHESBs in their fleet. They collect data and provide their buses for outreach activities, educating the public on the societal benefits of plug-in hybrid electric technology. The Napa Unified School District in California has even gone so far as to get former Vice-President Al Gore to visit their bus!

Advanced Energy would like to thank the participating districts for all of the time and energy they have invested in the program. Current participating districts include:

Ann Arbor Public Schools, MI
Austin Independent School District, TX
Lake Chelan School District, WA
Little Rock School District, AR
Manatee County, FL
Napa Unified School District, CA

Nazareth, PA
Rock Hill and Columbia, SC
Sigourney and Nevada, IA
State of New York
Wake and Mecklenburg Counties, NC

Sponsors

Since its launch, many organizations have been instrumental in the success of the PHESB Project. These organizations contributed to the success of plug-in hybrid technology. Sponsors include:

Utility Organizations:

Austin Energy
Dominion North Caolina Power
Duke Energy
N.C. Electric Membership Corp.
New York Power Authority
Progress Energy

Government Agencies:

Arkansas Energy Office
Iowa Energy Center
North Carolina Department of Environmental and Natural Resources
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
State Technology Advancement Collaborative

In 2002, Advanced Energy began evaluating the technical and economic feasibility of integrating plug-in hybrid technology into the school bus market. We determined that plug-in hybrid technology could offer lower fuel costs, lower diesel fuel consumption and a significant reduction in carbon emissions – making a positive impact on transportation and the environment. A consortium of partners was formed and the PHESB Project was born.

In 2006, an order of twenty PHESBs was awarded to IC Bus. PHESBs were delivered to school districts across the United States beginning in 2007. Today, there are sixteen PHESBs located across the nation in Advanced Energy’s program.