Electric school buses are the future we deserve

Riding an electric school bus seems like it would be an uncanny experience. As a kid, I remember the bus being a loud and smoggy place that left me smelling like diesel. Today there are electric buses on the road that are not only emissions-free but comparatively silent. Kids can not only talk to their friends on the bus, they can breathe.

The first all-electric school bus fleet to serve a major school district started ferrying kids to class in Oakland, California, last week. The 74 buses also act as giant batteries when they’re not moving: They’re plugged in and supplying enough electricity to the local grid to power about 400 homes. I don’t know about you, but my child self would have been thrilled by this futuristic reality and expected flying cars to be right around the corner.

Electric school buses are here and can solve so many problems: prevent diesel pollution from damaging kids’ health, release fewer greenhouse gasses that are warming the globe, and provide energy storage where you wouldn’t expect it.