Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) will be the first public school District in South Florida to put electric buses on the road, helping lower carbon emissions as it transports 54,000 students throughout the county every school day. The District showcased the new electric buses last month at the district’s transportation terminal in Pompano Beach.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) awarded the District a grant of more than $14.8 million to purchase 60 zero-emission electric buses that make up the electric bus fleet. The new buses will serve as replacements for older diesel school buses built in or before 2009. To complete the needed infrastructure, Florida Power & Light Company obtained a federal grant and partnered with the BCPS to install charging stations at each of the District’s transportation terminals.
“When these electric buses hit Broward County roads in the 2023/24 school year, our District will be operating the largest fleet of electric buses in the state and, most significantly, taking an important step toward providing a healthier environment for all of us,” said BCPS Interim Superintendent Dr. Earlean Smiley. “This great accomplishment would not have been possible without the support of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and Florida Power & Light Company.”
“As part of FPL EVolution, we are pleased to partner on this endeavor and provide fast-charging infrastructure at six bus depots for all 60 of the electric buses to power up and be ready to pick up students,” said FPL Vice President of Development for Tim Oliver. “These are the first electric school buses in FPL’s service area and represent the future of transportation that helps to make our communities more sustainable for generations to come. These buses will be charged by one of the cleanest electric grids in the country.”
The District’s Student Transportation and Fleet Services Department includes more than 1,200 buses, with about 950 used to transport students during daily routes. Each electric bus is a standard 72-passenger vehicle that produces no emissions at the tailpipe and is quiet on the road.
