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The White Plains School District is testing out five buses that will be operated through National Express, marking the state's first foray into an electric fleet of buses.
The 100-percent electric buses will get an estimated 66 miles on a full battery charge, and drivers will be able to track battery life through their cell phones. There is also a dial inside and outside the vehicle.
While regular school bus engine can be heard from a block away, the electric buses are nearly silent and emit a four-tone melody for the safety of passing pedestrians.
A recently released report from the U.S. Public Interest Research Group Education Fund and Environment Research and Policy Center emphasized the public and financial benefits of swapping out diesel engines for electric buses.
According to reports, Con Edison contributed $500,000 toward the purchase of the buses, as officials state they can store energy in the bus batteries when they are not in use during the summer.
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