The Tucson Unified School District has unveiled 10 all-electric school buses, replacing 10 diesel buses currently in its fleet. The district says the switch is the equivalent of taking nearly 270 gas-powered cars off the road.
The buses were funded by more than $6 million in grants from the Clean School Bus Program, Tucson Electric Power, and the TUSD Bond Project.
Carmen De Backer of the Arizona Youth Climate Coalition said the move signals that decision-makers are paying attention to young people's concerns about the environment.
"It gives you so much hope," Backer said. "The fact that they're listening to us and seeing how climate change is affecting us. That they're giving us the opportunity to have these new electric vehicle buses so that we can have a better future."
TUSD says the new electric buses are part of the district's long-term plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to a cleaner Tucson.
