California Campus to Convert to Electric Bus Fleet

The University of California, Irvine (UCI) is converting to an all-electric bus fleet with the purchase of 20 electric buses from China’s BYD Motors Inc. for $15 million.

The buses are being purchased by the student-funded and operated Anteater Express shuttle service. Once the delivery is completed for 2017-2018 school year, UCI claims it will be the first college campus in the U.S. to have an all-electric bus fleet. The new buses will join a hydrogen fuel cell bus already in operation at the school.

Students voted to pay as much as $40 per quarter to cover the bus purchase and other costs. Individual rides will be free.

Replacing diesel-powered models with electric buses will reduce tons of soot and carbon dioxide emissions from the campus per year, UCI says. The initiative supports the university’s pledge to emit zero greenhouse gases from campus buildings and vehicles by 2025.

Officials concede that current production methods for hydrogen and electricity generates carbon dioxide. But they anticipate technology advances will help make such energy sources carbon-free in coming years.

BYD will produce the electric buses at its plant in Lancaster, Calif. The company, which has more than 6,000 electric buses on the road worldwide, also has won contracts with several California transit authorities.