Are Electric School Buses Coming to NJ? Parents Hope So!

Move over, electric cars - electric school buses may be hitting the roads in New Jersey too!

Over the past several years, there has been an obvious boom in the electric vehicle industry. Ever since the first Tesla came out in 2008, the demand for electric vehicles has been increasing, especially with the growing global conversations of reducing our carbon imprint and our emission of greenhouse gases.

But electric vehicles aren't just healthier for the planet; they're also healthier for own health, including school children who are exposed to school bus diesel fumes.

According to MyCentralJersey.com, there has been a growing concern amongst New Jersey parents about how the diesel fumes emitted from traditional school buses affect their children's health. We all know that smell! It's unmistakably thick and reeks of chemicals. Not good for your lungs, especially for those with respiratory conditions.

So what's being done about this?

So far, the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has already allocated $24.5 million toward purchasing 77 electric school buses. However, the use of these buses have been delayed because of supply chain difficulties.

More recently, New Jersey lawmakers are working to pass a 3-year, $45 million bill to fund electric school bus programs. These programs would fund 18 NJ school districts to buy electric school buses and charging equipment. The bills have passed the Assembly appropriations committee on Thursday and are now awaiting an appropriations committee vote in the Senate.

So this is one step closer to cleaner air for children in New Jersey! Other states have already gotten the ball rolling on this front. Connecticut has already committed to totally replacing diesel-run buses completely by 2040, and New York plans on allocating $500 toward buying electric buses, according to NJSpotlightNews.

Will you happy to see electric school buses on the roads in New Jersey? Let us know!