They may be yellow in color but some new school buses are actually very 'green'. The eco-friendly vehicles will be hitting the road in the next few days. Two new hybrid electric school buses are heading to Franklin County, making twelve across the state. But thanks to 13 million dollars in federal stimulus money soon another 211 hybrid will added to the fleet.
"At that point we'll have the largest fleet of hybrids in the nation," says Frank Lewis, Vice President of Whayne Supply Company.
"It's a conventional diesel powered bus. It has a normal diesel engine but it also has a large battery pack that provides power for an electric motor that propels the bus up to about 30-35 mph," explains Lewis.
These hybrid buses will get about 12 miles per gallon compared to 7. That could save up to 40% in fuel costs. It costs twice as much as a regular bus but will make up those costs in fuel savings over time. That along with a smaller carbon footprint makes the Commonwealth a model for the rest of the nation.
"We've been trying to teach our students and the community about the importance of being a green oriented school district," say Franklin County Superintendent Harrie Buecker.
There are nearly eight thousand school buses on the roads each day across the state. When all of the hybrid buses are put into service, Kentucky will have the largest fleet in the country.