'Green' is New Yellow For Plainview School Buses

Plainview's school buses will still be yellow, but their attitude is going green.

The introduced a new all-electric school bus at district headquarters Monday that will be part of its fleet beginning in the fall.

It is believed that Plainview will be the first Long Island district to incorporate the "green" school buses into their fleet, said Nadine Eiring, the district's director of health, safety and transportation.

"The benefits are health related," said Eiring, of the new buses being purchased by of Plainview. "There are zero emissions, and 100 percent electric."

The chassis system is manufactured by Smith Electric Vehicles, which is opening a service facility in the Bronx. The company's largest customers include, Frito-Lay, Staples, Coca-Cola and the U.S. Marines. The body of the bus is built by TransTech Bus, the only New York based manufacturer of school buses in the United States.

The new buses come in the same sizes as conventional buses and Plainview expects that four or five of them will be part of their fleet during the coming school year, Eiring said. Over time, the entire fleet of more than 40 buses is expected to be converted into all-electric buses.

The buses are built will all the standard safety features incorporated into modern school buses, and are available in three seating capacities: 42, 54 and 66 students. They can be re-charged almost anywhere, company officials said.

The new technology costs more to build, (between $50,000 and $70,000) but Plainview won't be bearing those initial costs. Plainview is in the third of a five-year contract with , which is gradually adding them to their fleet. The contract has not been changed.

The new buses have several unique features. Their batteries are normally recharged during the evening hours, when electrical usage is down and costs less, Eiring said. And, when the driver makes a stop, the action of the brake actually recharges the batteries.

The E-buses can make a top speed of up to 60 mph. The one on display in Plainview yesterday would top out at about 50 mph.

Because of smoggy conditions out West, many parts of California have been using these new types of vehicles with great success, she said.

"This is a step forward," Eiring said. "It's healthier for the students and for the drivers."