CHARLOTTE — In his 35 years behind the wheel, Richard Thomas has seen plenty of evolution for the big yellow school bus.
Thomas started off with a traditional gas-powered school bus back in the ‘70s, but now he’s the first driver in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools to take on an electric school bus.
“A 1979 Chevy five-speed” was Thomas’ first school bus model, he told Channel 9′s Jonathan Lowe.
“You worked for your money back then, let me put it like that,” he said of the manual gearbox. “When the automatics came around ‘86, it was a new thing with CMS.”
Today, 95% of school buses burn diesel fuel. But with the climate change era now fully upon us, science is focused on engineering a newer, cleaner version of school transportation.
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“We’re trying to move towards alternative fuels, certainly they’re cheaper for us to maintain, cheaper to operate, and they’re better for the environment,” said CMS Executive Director of Transportation Adam Johnson.
Johnson says since the school year started, CMS has had three all-electric buses on the road.
“The [school] year ‘25-’26, we’ll have an additional 27 electric buses, and then the year after that, an additional 25,” he said.
With 1,100 buses operating each day, those numbers may sound small, but Johnson says they have huge implications.
“That’ll be the largest number in the state, and just remember we also have the largest propane powered fleet in the state with 112,” Johnson said.
Thomas was selected to be the district’s first EV bus driver, and he noted his experience, including how quiet they are.
“Is it on, that was my first thing, it took me four minutes,” Thomas said.
Thomas is fascinated by the brakes’ ability to recharge the bus batteries.
“When you’re going downhill, when you release the brakes, it helps to build back up,” Thomas said.
Thomas said there are challenges.
“When you have other EVs connected with the charger, that drains it a little bit, you got everything going on at once,” Thomas said.
The cost of EV buses can be too much for some districts. State and federal officials often provide grants and rebates -- to date, CMS has received $8.6 million.
Earlier this year, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper announced nearly $27 million in federal funds to purchase 114 electric school buses for the state. About 98% went to low-income, rural, or tribal communities.
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“Will we ever get to a point of fully electric? Hard to say, but we’re definitely moving in that direction,” Johnson said.
Nevertheless, Thomas says his students seem intrigued.
“They tell me it sounds like a Tesla, but they like the eco-friendly,” Thomas said.
He also thinks they’re learning on their way to and from class.
“I really believe it’s telling them about the environment. I believe it’s showing them how clean the air can be,” Thomas said.
CMS officials say they have strategically put their EV buses on lower mileage routes in hopes that they will be able to travel a total of up to 120 miles per day. Meanwhile, they’re studying how other NC districts are faring with charging stations and ways to get the best range on a single charge.
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