Lee's Summit R-7 School District First in Nation to Initiate All-Electric Fleet for Distribution
As part of an ongoing focus on cost-containment and environmentally friendly initiatives, the Lee's Summit R-7 School District will become the first public school district in the United States to operate an all-electric distribution fleet for all primary routes. The first of four electric trucks will arrive at the R-7 Distribution Center in early August, and R-7 distribution drivers will be participating in training later this summer. The school district's distribution trucks are used to transport items such as school supplies and cafeteria food products from the district's warehouse to schools and other facilities. The trucks also provide an "in-house" mail delivery between all R-7 facilities. The new vehicles are manufactured locally in the Kansas City metropolitan area at Smith Electric Vehicles and have less than five total moving parts, drastically reducing maintenance expenses. More dramatic will be the reduction in operating costs related to fuel expenses. In 2009-10, the R-7 School District fuel expenses for the distribution fleet averaged $2.25 per gallon. In 2010-11, the district estimates the fuel cost to operate the electric fleet at the equivalent of 11 to 15 cents per gallon (if you convert the cost of the electric power to the cost of diesel). In addition to the cost savings, the electric trucks will substantially decrease the fleet's carbon emissions (to near zero) while reducing noise from the trucks within school zones and surrounding neighborhoods. The electric fleet effort is part of a continuing R-7 School District emphasis on cost containment as well as environmentally friendly initiatives. Another example of this effort is a district-wide recycling program which offers convenient recycling for school staff and students and the public at all R-7 schools and other facilities. The school district receives a rebate from Deffenbaugh Recycling for each ton collected, and all money raised is returned to the individual school sites.
Jim Devine is 2010 Missouri Professional Economic Developer of the Year
