North Central Texas Council of Governments

At a Glance

Industry

Government/Public Administration

Project Type

Zero Emission Vehicles, Freight and Logistics

Year

2022

Location

Arlington, TX

Summary

Isabella Tsark was hosted by the North Central Texas Council of Governments to conduct a fleet electrification analysis for Rockwall ISD.

Goals

The North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG), which provides regional planning and coordination for a 16-county region, hosted EDF Climate Corps Fellow Isabella Tsark to conduct a fleet electrification analysis pilot project for Rockwall Independent School District (ISD). To help Rockwall begin the electrification planning process, Isabella conducted an analysis to determine the viability of deploying electric school buses as well as quantify the financial and health benefits of electrification.

Solutions

Isabella began the project by collecting fleet data from Rockwall ISD, such as vehicle details, route mileages, and fuel and electricity prices. These data, along with potential grant amounts, were used as inputs to the Alternative Fuel Life Cycle Environmental and Economic Transportation (AFLEET) tool to calculate total cost of ownership (TCO) and emissions reductions of electric versus diesel school buses.

Isabella showed the money saved and emissions reduced by replacing a diesel bus with an electric school bus over the vehicle life. She also demonstrated the battery ranges of various electric buses adequately meet the needs of three Rockwall ISD route scenarios of varying length.

Potential Impact

Isabella’s analysis showed approximately 70% fuel cost savings, 40% maintenance cost savings, a 30% reduction in TCO, and the elimination of tailpipe emissions by switching to electric school buses. Furthermore, the route analysis demonstrated 100% of Rockwall’s routes were within the range capabilities of an electric school bus.

As a result of the analysis, Rockwall ISD plans to pursue funding to deploy an electric school bus pilot within the next couple of years. In addition, this project provides a data analysis framework for other local school districts considering electrification.


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