CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — Students in Georgia are getting a cleaner and quieter ride to school as dozens of electric school buses hit the road.
According to the World Resources Institute, Georgia has 285 electric school buses, more than all but five other U.S. states. One billion dollars in federal funding is paying for electric buses nationwide.
"It drives smooth like a Cadillac," Georgia Bus Driver Deirdra McMullen said, "It's just easy."
Clayton County received $8.6 million to purchase 25 electric buses, and McMullen said students are asking her questions like, "how do you put gas in it?"
"No, it’s not gas,” said McMullen. “You plug it up like your phone, TV, or anything else.”
Federal grants and rebates are helping pay for electric buses in more than a dozen school districts in the state, including Clayton County, Dekalb, and the city of Atlanta.
The goal is to reduce emissions while spending less on fuel and maintenance.
“As far as maintenance goes, the most routine thing they’ll be doing is changing antifreeze,” said Ralph Simpson, Deputy Superintendent of Clayton County schools. Other than that, there’s no oil to be considered.”
Diedra McMullen is learning that a school bus can run without the typical engine roar.
“I’m not sure it’s on,” she said of the bus's quiet ride.
The engine noise has been replaced by the barrage of questions from students about the trend of traveling along the streets of Georgia.