DEARBORN — Dearborn Public Schools has added 18 new electric school buses to its fleet. In efforts to help create a cleaner environment, these zero-emission buses provide a cleaner form of transportation.

“The addition of these 18 electric buses is another example of how our district is leading the way and taking actions that will benefit students and the greater Dearborn community,” said Dearborn Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Glenn Maleyko. “There is also a lesson here for our students about the importance of being good stewards of the environment and taking steps to be a role model.”

The buses were provided by the Blue Bird corporation.

Maleyko shared gratitude for the $7.1 million in EPA funding, specifically the EPA’s Clean School Bus Rebate Program, that allowed them to purchase the buses.

“It’s really important, again, that we try to incentivize as much as we can on the federal level and be that partner, because a lot of school districts don’t have the capacity nor the resources to do this,” U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D- Detroit) said in a Fox 2 Detroit report.

The district partnered with Highland Electric Fleets, an initiative that does Electrification-as-a-Service (EaaS) for school bus fleets in North America. Reports state that the company installed 20 BorgWarner charging stations for the electric buses. These zero-emission buses are solely electric-powered. With the capability to travel up to 12o miles on one charge, a full-charge for these buses only takes up to 6-8 hours overnight.

“This investment represents a commitment to cleaner, quieter student transportation, which can improve student performance and reduce asthma risk, especially in communities like Dearborn where asthma rates may be higher than the national average,” said Joshua Williams, senior midwestern regional manager at Highland Electric Fleets. “We’re honored to partner with Dearborn in making this vision a reality.”

“Blue Bird is recognized as a technology leader and innovator of electric school buses in North America,” said Albert Burleigh, vice president of North America Bus Sales at Blue Bird Corporation. “We are thrilled to build on our exclusive, more than 30-year relationship with Dearborn Public Schools by delivering 18 state-of-the-art zero-emission school buses to the district. The continued transition to electric vehicles will help the District reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions while improving student and community health.”