Howard County Public School System is introducing two electric buses in a pilot program supported by a grant from the Maryland Department of Environment (MDE) and in partnership with bus contractor MBG Enterprises and BGE.

The two zero emissions vehicle (ZEV) school buses and charging stations will replace current diesel powered vehicles in Howard County. The $812,377 pilot grant is supported by an MDE grant as well as funds from project partners MBG Enterprises, an HCPSS bus vendor, and BGE.

From HCPSS:

“This program represents an essential first step toward use of more environmentally friendly vehicles, which are so important both for the wellness of our students and community, and the health of our environment,” said HCPSS Superintendent Michael J. Martirano. “We greatly appreciate the partnership of the Maryland Department of the Environment, BGE and MBG Enterprises in establishing this pilot program.”

The pilot program supports environmental education, and the buses will be made available for students’ use in energy research and conservation projects. BGE will collect data on energy use and efficiency to “assess the vehicles’ performance in terms of peak load reduction, grid balancing, battery resiliency and other factors.” The electric bus project will continue through June 2021.