The Bend-La Pine School District’s new electric school bus made its first official run Tuesday.
When fully charged, the LionC bus can travel up to 125 miles with a total of 71 students on board. Top speed: 60 mph.
As an added safety measure, the bus plays music when it travels under 19 miles per hour. That way, the students know its coming and nearby drivers are aware.
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The district says it’s excited for all the benefits the bus provides such as cleaner air, reduced noise and lower cost.
A grant from Pacific Power covered the $157,000 price tag.
Bend-La Pine says it’s the first electric school bus east of the Cascades.
