Electric Buses

Lake Washington’s bus fleet includes 130 buses that are responsible for transporting approximately 7,450 students each day, traveling over 1,350,000 miles.

There are plans to introduce two electric buses to our fleet in the 2024-25 school year. Additionally, we have purchased 48 low emission buses and retrofitted the rest to reduce emissions. We are eager to continue to grow our electric bus fleet.

As we plan the transition, it is important to keep in mind that electric buses may not be appropriate for every bus route. Distance and terrain can both impact battery performance, so diesel or alternative fuel buses may still be needed in some cases. 

Lake Washington replaces 6-10 buses each year, prioritizing the oldest and least efficient. New buses are paid for by the State’s bus depreciation fund, which provides enough to replace a retiring bus with an equivalent one. Because electric buses are more expensive than diesel buses, one-to-one replacement is not possible. It would take 64 years to replace the entire fleet at current funding levels.

We are encouraging our state representatives to increase funding and provide more grant opportunities.

The average cost of a new Type C electric bus (which makes up the bulk of Lake Washington’s fleet) is $452,495, approximately three times the cost of the diesel alternative.

Transitioning to an electric fleet will also require all new charging infrastructure which varies in cost based on the type of charger. Level 2 chargers are the least expensive option but can take between 5.5 and 13 hours to charge. Fast (DCFC) chargers cut the time from 1 to 4.5 hours, which is especially important for buses that may need to charge between before and after school routes. 

Level 2 chargers (overnight charging) cost about $10,000-$30,000 per 1-3 charger(s). DC fast (between route) chargers cost about $50,000 per charger.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Washington Department of Ecology, and Washington Department of Commerce have created grant and rebate programs to assist districts in transitioning their fleets. Lake Washington has received EPA funding to assist with the purchase of four electric buses and Department of Commerce infrastructure funding. We continue to pursue these and other opportunities when they become available.

The upfront costs to purchase and install infrastructure would be significant. We believe pilot programs are needed to understand the true costs and savings of electric vehicles. 

Lake Washington has had a successful emissions-reduction strategy underway for a number of years. With the assistance of a Washington Department of Ecology grant, Lake Washington purchased 16 low-emissions buses in 2018 – and 32 more since. These newer buses allow the district to minimize fuel usage and tailpipe emissions. The remaining fleet was retrofitted with particulate exhaust filtration to further reduce emissions. 

The district has a 100% route efficiency rating from OSPI. We’ve invested in technology to help buses operate more efficiently, use GPS to analyze route efficiency and train all drivers to avoid idling. 

These measures have helped reduce 99% of overall fleet emissions.