EV-1

KLSD electric bus ready to roll!

The newest school bus in Katonah-Lewisboro’s fleet is charged up and ready for students! EV-1 will be on the road starting the first day of school. Transportation Supervisor Nora Beltran said that the electric bus will rotate among routes throughout the year, giving as many students as possible a chance to experience its emissions-free ride.

“KLSD remains committed to leading the way on sustainability,” said Superintendent Andrew Selesnick. “We hope that a successful pilot of this first electric bus will lead to more in the very near future.”

Introducing EV-1

  • Ev-1

A new kind of fill up

“The range of EV-1 averages 100 miles,” said Matthews Buses’ Mark Hanrahan, “depending on ambient temperature, topography and driver habits.” He said that the charge time depends on state of charge prior to charging as well as the type of charger used. “From empty to full, it’s approximately eight hours with a slow charger, or 2.5 hours with a fast charger.”

First Responders Review Changes

  • first responders

First in fleet

EV-1 was manufactured by Thomas Built Buses. Trainers from the company’s local distributor, Matthews Buses, Inc., visited Katonah-Lewisboro’s transportation department on August 30 to review the bus’s maintenance with district mechanics as well as first responders.

New York State’s fiscal year 2022-2023 budget established a nation-leading commitment for all new school buses purchased to be zero emission by 2027 and all school buses in operation to be electric by 2035. The budget includes funding to help districts transition.

Katonah-Lewisboro School District received an incentive of $200,000 from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to help procure the acquisition of the electric school bus. As a result of community and Board of Education’s support and the state monies, Katonah-Lewisboro is among the first school systems in the United States to begin the transition to electric buses.