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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Blue Bird Corp. is the best performing EV stock so far this year.</li><li>The bus manufacturer has seen a boom in its EV bus business thanks to a $5 billion government program.</li></ul>The best-performing electric vehicle stock is a little-known school bus maker. <a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/blbd-stock?miRedirects=1">Blue Bird Corp.</a>, which has a market cap of about $2 billion, has started to diversify from its diesel and gas-power buses to electric, boosted by government funding.Shares of Blue Bird have surged 116% year-to-date, far outpacing other EV stocks, which are mostly down this year, including <a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/tsla-stock?miRedirects=1">Tesla</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/rivn-stock?miRedirects=1">Rivian</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/lcid-stock?miRedirects=1">Lucid</a>, and a slew of Chinese EV companies.<div type="image" title="Electric vehicle stocks" height="694" width="894" msid="110746503" hostid="261" sizebytes="25322"></div>In its fiscal second-quarter earnings report released last month, Blue Bird said its revenue grew 15% year-over-year to $346 million, outpacing analysts' estimates by nearly $50 million, while its profits more than tripled to $0.89 per share.The school bus manufacturer sold a record 210 electric school buses in the quarter and said it had an order backlog of about 500 electric buses, with bookings soaring 56% from the year-ago period.Helping fuel Blue Bird's EV school bus business is the US Environmental Protection Agency's Clean School Bus Program, which was established in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-laws-us-infrastructure-invest-funding-2024-3">the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law</a> and provides $5 billion in funding to replace diesel school buses with electrified buses.Electric school buses now make up 9% of Blue Bird's revenue, up from 6% last year, and is set to rise as funding from the EPA's EV school bus program continues to flow to districts looking to upgrade their fleet.A big benefit to Blue Bird is that electric school buses will significantly increase its average selling price and profit margins on the vehicles it produces.According to research from Barclays, an electric school bus can sell for more than $300,000 compared to just $100,000 for traditional school buses."This is an entirely different Blue Bird bus revenue and gross margin structure compared with just a year ago with bus prices up significantly," Blue Bird CEO Phil Horlock said on the company's most recent earnings call.Needham said in a note last month that it expects the growth of Blue Bird's EV business to continue."EV school bus growth is in the early innings. We expect continued strong demand as school districts compete for essentially free buses, with higher, known ASPs over a multiyear period allowing BLBD and industry peers time to drive costs lower before market prices take over," Needham analyst Chris Pierce said.Needham rates Blue Bird at "Buy" with a $52 price target.

The best-performing EV stock this year is a school bus manufacturer    

New Delhi, India's top oil firm IOC on Monday unveiled the nation's first <keyword id="18906554" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="green-hydrogen-powered-bus" source="Orion">green hydrogen-powered bus</keyword> that emits just water as it takes the lead in bringing out unrivaled tools to replace fossil fuels. Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) will produce close to 75 kg of hydrogen by splitting water using electricity from renewable sources. This hydrogen will be used to power two buses which will ply across the national capital region for trial runs. Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, flagging off the buses, said hydrogen will be India's transition fuel for moving away from fossil fuels. IOC's R&amp;D Centre at Faridabad is producing green hydrogen for the pilot run. Four cylinders with a capacity of 30 kg can run the buses for 350 km. It takes 10-12 minutes for the four tanks to fill. Hydrogen when burnt emits only water vapour as a by-product. With three times the energy density and the absence of harmful emissions, hydrogen shines as a cleaner, more efficient choice to meet the energy requirement. As much as 50 units of renewable electricity and 9 kg of deionized water are needed for the production of one kilo of green hydrogen. Hydrogen can be used as a fuel for fuel cells. Puri said by the end of 2023, IOC will scale up the number of buses to 15. IOC will undertake operational trials of 15 fuel cell buses powered by green hydrogen on the identified routes in Delhi, Haryana, and UP. Under this programme, the first set of 2 fuel cell buses was launched on Monday. "Our government has ambitious plans on clean and green energy. India has taken many steps towards low carbon development- through emerging fuels like hydrogen and bio-fuels and shall account for 25 per cent of global incremental energy demand growth over the next two decades," Puri said. Upon the launch of the two buses, a cumulative mileage of more than 3 lakh kilometers will be covered for long-term assessment of performance and durability of the new technology. India has one of the largest synchronous grids in the world, capable of handling intermittent renewable energy and it has achieved 'One Nation-One Grid-One Frequency'. "With the low cost solar, synchronous grid, large demand and engineering, India will be a global champion in production and exports of hydrogen and is set to emerge as the hub for green hydrogen," he said. Puri said recently the world's first BS 6 (Stage II) Electrified Flex Fuel vehicle prototype was launched that encompasses both the flex fuel engine as well as an electric powertrain that offers higher use of ethanol combined with better fuel efficiencies. Hydrogen is deemed as the fuel for the future with immense potential to help India meet its decarbonization targets. The global demand for hydrogen is expected to increase by four to seven times to 500-800 tonne by 2050. Domestic demand is expected to increase by four times, from the current 6 tonne at present to 25-28 tonne by 2050. Oil and gas PSUs shall produce around 1 million tonne per annum of green hydrogen by 2030. "This green <keyword id="14355451" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="hydrogen-powered-bus" source="Orion">hydrogen-powered bus</keyword> is going to transform the face of city transport in the country. I shall be closely monitoring the project and wish you all the very best for successfully executing this project of national importance," he added. "The success of this project can catapult India from being a net importer of fossil energy to becoming a net exporter of clean hydrogen energy; and provide global leadership to other countries in terms of technology transfer while becoming a large green hydrogen producer and supplier of manufacturing parts."

IndianOil unveils India's first green hydrogen-run bus that emits just water

<keyword id="19923700" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tata-power" source="keywords">Tata Power</keyword> on Saturday said it has collaborated with the <keyword id="19905539" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ayodhya-development-authority" source="keywords">Ayodhya Development Authority</keyword> (ADA) to deploy charging points in and around the city on crucial routes to accelerate the adoption of <keyword id="19895203" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="electric-vehicles" source="keywords">Electric Vehicles</keyword> (EVs). The initiative strategically links <keyword id="6354931" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ayodhya" source="Orion">Ayodhya</keyword> with major cities nearby through the establishment of EV charging points. These points are situated along routes such as Ayodhya to Lucknow via National Highway (NH) 27, Ayodhya to Raebareli via NH 330, Ayodhya to Prayagraj via NH 330, and Ayodhya to Gorakhpur via NH 27, said the company. "These stations epitomise innovation and environmental stewardship and set the pace for our nation's journey towards Net Zero emissions. Together, we're shaping a sustainable tomorrow that benefits us all," said <keyword id="20372997" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="deepesh-nanda" source="keywords">Deepesh Nanda</keyword>, CEO and Managing Director, <keyword id="20372998" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tata-power-renewable-energy-limited" source="keywords">Tata Power Renewable Energy Limited</keyword>. With more than 80,000 home chargers, 5,300+ public, semi-public and fleet charging points, and more than 850 bus charging stations, Tata Power said it is at the forefront of driving the transition towards environment-friendly transportation. "These charging points not only enhance our city's infrastructure but also herald a new era of eco-consciousness and progress," said Gaurav Dayal, Commissioner of Ayodhya. SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/oneplus-12-review/articleshow/108723955.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/oneplus-12-review/articleshow/108723955.cms" target="_blank">OnePlus 12 review: A feature-packed device with promising battery back-up</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/motorola-edge-50-pro-to-launch-in-india-on-april-3-everything-we-know-so-far/articleshow/108667275.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/motorola-edge-50-pro-to-launch-in-india-on-april-3-everything-we-know-so-far/articleshow/108667275.cms" target="_blank">Motorola Edge 50 Pro to launch in India on April 3 – Everything we know so far</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/jsw-group-and-saic-motors-jv-jsw-mg-motor-india-set-to-up-production-to-3-lakh-vehicles-a-year-with-a-new-car-every-3-6-months/articleshow/108647799.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/jsw-group-and-saic-motors-jv-jsw-mg-motor-india-set-to-up-production-to-3-lakh-vehicles-a-year-with-a-new-car-every-3-6-months/articleshow/108647799.cms" target="_blank">JSW Group and SAIC Motor’s JV ‘JSW MG Motor India’ set to up production to 3 lakh vehicles a year with a new car every 3-6 months</a>

Tata Power deploys EV charging points on key routes to Ayodhya

<ul><li><keyword id="9349591" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="blusmart" source="Orion">BluSmart</keyword> is poised to double its fleet by the end of the year and aims to have over 1,00,000 EVs on its platform by 2025.</li><li>Back in 20221, <keyword id="15125737" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jio-BP-and-BluSmart" source="Orion">Jio-BP and BluSmart</keyword> joined hands to set up EV charging stations in India.</li><li>BluSmart has the largest fleet of electric cabs and the largest network of EV fast charging stations across Delhi NCR, according to the company.</li></ul>As India rides on the EV bandwagon with the government promoting several use cases, BluSmart is poised to double its fleet by the end of the year and aims to have over 1,00,000 EVs on its platform by 2025. Rishabh Sood, CTO, BluSmart, told IANS that from a charging infrastructure perspective, both state and central government responses have been great and have floated many projects on a PPP basis. With the ever-growing customer base, Sood added, it is imperative to have BluSmart's services up and running with zero downtime and for this, the startup relies on various AWS services to build a strong foundation. Here are the excerpts from an interview: Q: What is BluSmart's USP? How do you differentiate yourself from other players in the <keyword id="6744459" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="EV-fleet" source="Orion">EV fleet</keyword> landscape? A: BluSmart is the only ride hailing service in the country that ensures zero emission, zero surge and zero ride denials to its customers and zero financial investment from its driver partners. We believe the source of our sustainable competitive advantage is that we have built multiple small MOATs around various parts of the business, which are collectively keeping us ahead of the curve. On the customer end, by solving for the core issue of hassles of ride booking, cancellations, surge and unclean cars we have been able to build a very loyal customer base. This hassle free experience of zero surge, zero cancellation and clean cars with courteous drivers being achieved every day repeatedly is starting to become a habit. On the driver end, by solving for the core issue of driver partners' inability to buy, own and maintain assets, we have been able to build loyalties on the drier partner side, which is immensely important since they are the brand custodians on the roads and are the ones who uphold the brand promise every time. On the technology side, by solving for the core issue of "fuel being a constraint" with EVs as against ICE powered vehicles where the ride-hails tech historically has not been required to worry about the fuel inside the car. Building a technology backend which is born electric and takes a full stack approach towards solving for ride matching at scale where no human is required to take decisions and the technology optimally guides the drivers right from picking up customers to reaching the nearest EV charging stations when running out of charge. On the partner ecosystem side, by solving for the core issue of having partners who have a purpose and a vision that feeds into each other's ambitions. Having partners like BP Ventures who come with the right global experience around energy and team building. Having partners like JioBP, which is a JV between Reliance and BP in India and having the backing of the largest enterprise in India in building more EV charging infra. Having partners like Tata Motors, who have decades of experience in automobiles and have taken the right stand when it comes to EVs and is able to support the growth ambitions of BluSmart. Q: For India to achieve its vision of reducing emission intensity by 45 per cent by 2030 and reach the net-zero target by 2070, EV would have to go mainstream. What are some of the biggest roadblocks you see today in India, be it in the manufacturing, EV financing, regulatory and policy landscape? A: The country has faced supply and delivery challenges in the past in getting EVs from leading OEMs around the country due to the semiconductor chip crisis in the past 3 years. Since, the supply chain and semiconductor issues have now started to relax, we are seeing an accelerated movement towards vehicle production and delivery. We believe that the manufacturing of EVs needs to be scaled up massively to support the increased adoption of EVs which in turn will lead to economies of scale. Also entry of established players into the EV industry will provide a variety of options to the common man. From a charging infrastructure perspective, both state and central government response have been great and have floated many projects on a PPP basis. We have also partnered up with giants such as Jio BP to help our expansion plans and create more charging infrastructure. Ramping up of charging infrastructure will play a key role in achieving net zero emission. Q: Tell us about the scale of your operations/size of EV fleet in India and your projected growth trajectory over the next 5 years? A: BluSmart currently operates an electric fleet of 2,200+ EVs on its platform. BluSmart Mobility is the most preferred mode of public transportation across Delhi NCR having completed 2.5 million+ all electric trips, covering over 86 million+ clean kms with over 900,000+ app downloads with an app rating of 4.9 out of 5.0 in the last year. It has the largest fleet of electric cabs and the largest network of EV fast charging stations across Delhi NCR. On September 26, 2022, BluSmart expanded geographically and started its operations in Bengaluru as its second city. BluSmart is poised to double its fleet by the end of the year and aims to have over 1,00,000 EVs on our platform by 2025. Q: What has AWS and cloud technology enabled you to do better? A: AWS is our trusted cloud partner for its feature rich and highly performant ecosystem of diversified services. With the ever growing customer base, it is imperative to have BluSmart's services up and running with zero downtime and this is where Amazon CloudWatch helps to preemptively learn metrics breach and remediate the same automatically. BluSmart uses Amazon Aurora, which is designed for exceptionally high performance and availability at a global scale with full MySQL and PostgreSQL compatibility. We adopted Aurora because it gives us the ability to manage our data at a large scale without having to deal with maintenance and optimizations at our end. At BluSmart every decision we make is driven by data hence we wanted a petabyte-scale data warehouse service that makes it simple and cost-effective to efficiently analyze data using existing business intelligence tools therefore we decided to go with Amazon Redshift as it provides constant monitoring of operations, logs, auditing, and traceability. We discovered key improvements in cost and performance for improving speed to market and operational efficiency. During our peak demand periods, we rely on AWS Autoscaling to handle high surge in requests by scaling containers and Database read replicas to provide seamless and elated customer experience. We at BluSmart are focused on the security of our data, infrastructure and resources and we rely on various AWS security services to build a strong foundation. We will continue to explore further on AWS in the future, adding new features and capabilities along the way. Q. In terms of business outcomes, what benefits have you experienced because of running on AWS? Please provide metrics where applicable: A: We have been able to bring efficiency in handling the demand and process performance by reducing the effort of self managing and monitoring the infrastructure. Without having to spend time on infrastructure engineering, developers are able to focus on the core product development which helps us reach the market faster. Usage of autoscaling to handle the load of peak and non peak demands efficiently by dynamic scaling up and scaling down of cloud infra on an intraday basis provided a significant cost advantage over maintaining a dedicated infra for peak loads. Further, periodic snapshots, data replication and disaster recovery strategy helps us mitigate data and infrastructure risks. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/no-hirings-more-layoffs-soon-mark-zuckerberg-to-employees/articleshow/94548917.cms">No hirings, more layoffs soon: Mark Zuckerberg to employees</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/best-amazon-sale-deals-on-laptops-from-lenovo-asus-dell-hp-msi-and-more/articleshow/94359105.cms">Amazon Great Indian Festival Sale: Best deals on laptops from Lenovo, Asus, Dell, HP, MSI and more</a>

BluSmart to set up EV charging infra projects across India in PPP mode

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Emma Echols, 68, lives frugally in Alabama on Social Security and income from part-time bus driving.</li><li>She gets $1,056 a month in Social Security and thinks she can't retire despite working since she was 12 years old.</li></ul>Emma Echols, 68, lives off $1,056 a month in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boomer-lives-on-social-security-works-walmart-retirement-savings-2024-7">Social Security</a> and a part-time bus driver job in Alabama. She said she may <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/retirement-peak-boomer-alice-social-security-masters-degree-student-loans-2024-5">never retire</a>, but she's not too worried.Echols has worked since she was 12, working as a chef, a convenience store general manager, and a bus driver. Throughout her life, she's rarely been financially stable, though she's kept bills down by <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/avoiding-blackout-shopping-saving-money-frugal-living-youtuber-finances-2024-4">living frugally</a> and giving to others when she's able.Though it's unlikely she can <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boomer-no-college-degree-cant-retire-get-job-social-security-2024-5">step away from work</a> anytime soon, she's stayed active in her community to help others in worse situations than her. Still, she feels people like herself should get more retirement benefits and respect."I've always worked for what I needed or wanted, with no public or government assistance, but people who have not worked have very nice housing," Echols said. "Our world is confused. They reward the ones who will do nothing, who do not pay their bills on time, and not those who are school teachers who gave the system 50 years of their lives. I know teachers who knew exactly how many times a month they could wash their clothes to maintain their electric bills."Millions of Americans at or approaching the typical retirement age of 65 lack the savings to quit working. Dozens of older Americans have <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/uber-lyft-retirement-social-security-worth-it-tips-minimum-wage-2024-7">told Business Insider</a> this year they can't retire, as some estimates say retirees need <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-money-do-i-need-for-retirement-gen-x-2024-4">well above a million dollars</a> to retire comfortably. This is particularly out of reach for the more than half of Americans over 65 making <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/retirement-crisis-social-security-poverty-older-americans-savings-inequality-2024-3">under $30,000</a> a year, according to the Census Bureau's Current Population Survey.While Echols said she wouldn't know what to do with over $1 million, getting more than $1,000 a month from the government would go a long way.<h2 id="7739e19c-a56b-41e0-bba6-7606331ed175">Working her whole life but struggling</h2>Echols got her first job at 12 as a babysitter, and at 14, she served soda and popcorn at a drive-in theater. Almost six decades later, she hasn't stopped working since."I always wanted to earn my own money," Echols said. "I always wanted to work, and at the age of 14, someone started my Social Security records for me. I waited 45 years to get that paycheck."She worked as a chef at a seafood restaurant for over a decade, putting her in a "very good income bracket." At 27, she enrolled in community college but didn't graduate.She switched to another company for nine years making <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/uber-lyft-doordash-drivers-earn-below-minimum-wage-tips-study-2024-5">minimum wage</a> — $3.35 at the time — then got a new position as a convenience store assistant manager paying over $11 an hour, though she was later laid off. She acknowledges she — and others in her generation — should have been more informed about saving and investing strategies.Over two decades ago, she got a job as a bus driver making about $9 an hour, though this increased over the years to about $26 an hour. She also gets health benefits and is building a pension."Before my rate went up, I didn't even make enough money to be able to pay $500 to $600 a month in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/housing-crisis-unaffordable-high-rent-prices-cost-burdened-renters-cities-2024-7">rent</a>," Echols said. "I have good income at my part time position where I have good benefits, but I understand the struggle for all senior citizens. For federal government housing, they do not want you to have more than $1,500 a month in income to qualify for one of their houses or apartments."<h2 id="52e53e7d-0f93-44c8-b29a-70b77cbd0c14">Living frugally and selflessly</h2>Her monthly expenses are $500 for rent with an extra water and garbage bill, $95 for phone and internet, almost $500 for her car payment, $89 a month on car and renters insurance, and about $300 for transportation expenses. She rarely eats out, and she tries to avoid spending on meat to cut back on costs. She's saving up for new tires and car maintenance fees that can cost $400."I <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/planned-retirement-until-discovered-fire-2024-04">live frugally</a>, and I purchase only what I need," she said. "I've always been a clearance rack shopper, even some thrifting."She rarely spends on entertainment, occasionally seeing a $5 movie near her home. She tries to stay healthy to avoid added medical costs, and she's kept her furniture and clothes purchases minimal.She's gearing up to move from her duplex in the suburbs to an efficiency apartment in her city to reduce her transportation and car insurance expenses, as she can walk to work.Her <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boomer-waiting-collect-social-security-higher-benefit-retirement-no-savings-2024-7">Social Security</a> is $1,056 a month, a 25% reduction from her potential full benefit because she accepted payments early. She said it helps her cover rent and some other expenses, though she said she must work to supplement other costs and plan for her future. She has very little debt."People my age, we worked during a time when incomes were low, and I know people whose Social Security is $1,400, $1,500 a month, and it's not enough for them to live," Echols said. "I don't see myself being able to retire, but I'm grateful and healthy."She said two of her sisters are in nursing homes, while her other two sisters have health issues. She gives gifts to family members when she can and tries to help them financially if she has money left over.Echols also said some of her friends are dealing with similar situations, as many live on a fixed income and are struggling to pay all their bills.She said religion has empowered her to continue giving what she has to help others in even worse situations, as she believes she will be repaid for her efforts and will never be homeless. If she had more money, she said she would use it to start a program to assist other women in difficult financial situations."I've never been a worrier, because in spite of what our world looks like, what's going on in the world, I truly believe that God has the final say," Echols said.Are you worried about retirement? Reach out to this reporter at <a target="_blank" href="mailto:nsheidlower@businessinsider.com">nsheidlower@businessinsider.com</a>.

A boomer gets just $1,056 a month in Social Security and works as a bus driver: 'I don't see myself being able to retire, but I'm grateful and healthy'

<ul><li><keyword id="42747" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tata-motors" source="Orion">Tata Motors</keyword> will operate and maintain Tata Starbus for a period of 12 years, as per the contract.</li><li>Tata’s Starbus is developed for sustainable and comfortable travel.</li><li>Earlier, Tata Motors received orders for 1,500 electric buses from Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and 1,180 electric buses from West Bengal Transport Corporation (WBTC).</li></ul>Tata Motors on Thursday bagged an order to supply 921 electric buses to the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (<keyword id="6371543" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bmtc" source="Orion">BMTC</keyword>). Tata Motors will supply, operate and maintain the 12-metre Tata Starbus for a period 12 years, as per the contract. Tata Starbus is an indigenously developed vehicle that is designed for sustainable and comfortable travel. G. Sathyavathi, Managing Director, BMTC, said, "This order is paramount for Bengaluru's growing need for clean and sustainable urban mass mobility. BMTC is happy to induct modern electric buses that will attract maximum ridership for eco-friendly public transportation." This is the third biggest order that Tata Motors has bagged from a state government in the last one month. Earlier, Tata Motors received orders for 1,500 electric buses from Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and 1,180 electric buses from West Bengal Transport Corporation (WBTC). Rohit Srivastava, Vice President (Product Line - Buses), Tata Motors, said, ‘We have been at the forefront of developing smart, modern and energy efficient commercial passenger vehicles, catering to the needs of future mobility. We are confident that these environment-friendly electric buses will be beneficial for the residents of Bengaluru.’ SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/new-maruti-suzuki-alto-k10-brings-premium-suv-features-in-a-compact-car/slidelist/93636927.cms">New Maruti Suzuki Alto K10 brings premium SUV features in a compact car</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/research/news/this-herb-is-the-magic-fertilizer-needed-to-grow-vegetables-on-mars/articleshow/93635777.cms">This herb is the magic fertilizer needed to grow vegetables on Mars</a>

Tata Motors bags a 921 e-bus contract from Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Josh and Emily Scherrer live and work full-time from their converted school bus, Aurora.</li><li>They spent $80,000 on the conversion and the largest expenses now are insurance, fuel, and internet.</li></ul>For the past two years, husband-and-wife duo Josh, 27, and Emily Scherrer, 28, have lived in and worked full-time from their "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/i-bought-old-school-bus-turned-it-into-skoolie-airbnb-2022-12">Skoolie</a>," a converted school bus nicknamed "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/aurora.theadventurebus/">Aurora the Adventure Bus</a>."When they first met, they bonded over their love of travel and used all of their PTO to take <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/solo-road-trip-tips-us-how-to-plan-2024-1">road trips</a>. When Josh Scherrer started a fully remote job in late 2020, the couple started thinking about working and living on the road.They purchased the bus in January 2021, and last fall, they bought a piece of land in Idaho that they'll live on once they're finished traveling.For now, the couple works remotely as engineers from Aurora while traveling full-time. Here's how they keep up with their <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/digital-nomad-lifestyle-lessons-drawbacks-challenges-2023-8">nomadic lifestyle</a>.<h2>Skoolie vs converted van</h2><div type="image" title="a woman next to a school bus" height="3024" width="4032" msid="107883468" hostid="261"></div>The couple bought their bus for $7,000 from a company that sells used school buses for conversions in Phoenix. Emily Scherrer was inspired to purchase a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-family-tiny-home-roof-school-bus-diy-space-kids-2023-9">Skoolie</a> from posts she saw on Instagram.They considered a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/airstream-new-camper-van-rv-almost-200000-photos-2023-9">camper van</a>, but a school bus was more affordable upfront and provided more space. "It fits us much better because we need two separate offices, and a 40-foot bus provides that space," Josh Scherrer told Business Insider.The conversion took them about a year and a half to finish. "We didn't hire anything out, and we did it all while still working full-time. Converting Aurora was our evenings and weekends project," he said.<div type="image" title="a kitchen on a bus" height="2268" width="3024" msid="107883470" hostid="261"></div>They spent about $80,000 on the conversion, which Emily Scherrer says is on the high end. "A lot of other Skoolie owners spend between $20,000 and $50,000," she told Business Insider. "It comes down to what you want your finishes to be."The most expensive thing they bought was the automotive paint. The Maple millwork for the ceiling and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/people-saving-money-on-energy-bills-by-installing-solar-panels-2022-10">solar panels</a> for the roof were also pricey."The solar was non-negotiable, as we wanted to make sure we had plenty of electricity for us to both work remotely," she said.<div type="image" title="a bed on a bus" height="2268" width="3024" msid="107883471" hostid="261"></div><h2>Bus life isn't as cheap as they expected</h2>The Scherrers don't save as much as they thought they would by <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/family-live-off-grid-tiny-house-2024-2">living tiny</a>, but they are collecting experiences. "We don't have to pay for plane tickets or hotels, so we can experience more for our money," Emily Scherrer said. So far they've taken the bus to Alaska, New Mexico, Texas, and Colorado.Their biggest expenses are car insurance (about $1,850 a year), diesel fuel, and satellite internet connection, which is $150 a month and is necessary for their jobs. Filling up the tank costs about $300; on average, they fill up once or twice a month.<h2>They have ways to cut down on costs</h2>One cost that's in their control is where they park."Our expenses depend on where we park and the amenities we find," Emily Scherrer said. The southwestern US has a lot of land available for public use, such as BLM or Forest Service land, where parking for certain days is free."We like to use that kind of land versus going to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/travel/best-us-campsites">campgrounds</a>, which saves us a lot of money," she said.They also pay to fill up and dump their tanks, usually as a campground fee. There's a toilet and a shower on the bus, and the septic tanks must be dumped roughly every two weeks.<div type="image" title="a bathroom on a bus" height="2268" width="3024" msid="107883474" hostid="261"></div>Another way they save money is by being mindful of their mileage. "It's a fairly affordable lifestyle if you don't intend to put a lot of miles on your vehicle," Josh Scherrer said.Driving to Alaska cost the couple roughly $2,000 in fuel, but parking down south for the winter is very affordable.They have a small emergency fund for mechanical issues, but he does most of the service himself.<h2>Working full-time while traveling is how they sustain their lifestyle</h2><div type="image" title="a couple takes a selfie with a school bus" height="2316" width="3088" msid="107883477" hostid="261"></div>The couple loves that they can earn a reliable income from their jobs while accomplishing other life goals at the same time.They plan to live in their Skoolie for at least a few more years before building a home on their land in Idaho. "We haven't saved too much, but we've experienced more than we thought. Being able to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/reasons-to-travel-in-your-20s-2018-3">travel in our 20s</a> has been really fun," Josh Scherrer said.They don't plan to sell the Skoolie when they finish living in it. "We'll keep the bus so we can take trips when we want," he said. They may still do winters in the south on the bus to avoid winter blues in Idaho.

A couple bought a $7,000 school bus and converted it into their dream home. See inside the 40-foot Skoolie.

The Indian government will come out with a "<keyword id="1708150" type="General" weightage="60" keywordseo="payment-security-mechanism" source="Orion">payment security mechanism</keyword>" to support large-scale rollout of electric buses as it eyes a major transition towards green public transport across the country, <keyword id="184951" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="tarun-kapoor" source="Orion">Tarun Kapoor</keyword>, advisor to the Prime Minister at the <keyword id="6365387" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="pmo" source="Orion">PMO</keyword>, said on Thursday. He also emphasised on the need to bring down the cost of electric vehicles to accelerate their adoption. While the government will continue to provide subsidies like those being offered under the <keyword id="7723547" type="General" weightage="70" keywordseo="fame-ii-scheme" source="Orion">FAME-II scheme</keyword> because the price difference is huge and it has to be bridged, "we have to look at ways and means to bring down the price also, because government subsidy cannot be forever", he said, while addressing an <keyword id="1668995" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="assocham-conference" source="Orion">Assocham conference</keyword> on electric mobility here. Kapoor highlighted the need to be "a little more serious" in battery manufacturing "because we can't depend on imports". He said while China has taken the lead on lithium-ion batteries, India can catch up very fast and the government is looking at the entire ecosystem. He cited the example of the Mines and Minerals (Regulation and Amendment) Bill passed by Parliament in the ongoing session, which seeks to allow larger participation of the private sector in mineral exploration and production, including that of lithium. Kapoor said a "payment security mechanism" is being established after feedback was received about the difficulties in obtaining lending by financial companies. "Something major and very good is already planned and it will come out. So we should be able to roll out a large number of electric buses all over the country," he said.

New payment security mechanism to support large-scale e-bus rollout in the works

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The <keyword id="12479799" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="volkswagen-bus" source="Orion">Volkswagen bus</keyword>, an icon of the 1960s and 1970s, is coming back as an electric model. </li><li>VW just offered a peek at what the production version will look like. </li></ul><keyword id="12153707" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="volkswagen" source="Orion">Volkswagen</keyword> has said for years that it plans to reinvent the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vintage-volkswagen-bus-van-life-how-much-is-vw-transporter-2021-9">legendary Microbus</a> as an electric vehicle called the ID.Buzz. We've seen renderings and concept vehicles, but now VW is showing off what looks like the real thing. During an online presentation revealing the Europe-only ID.5 SUV, VW gave the audience a glimpse of the ID.Buzz. In the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MALzDAOojhc">video</a>, screenshotted above, the ID.Buzz wears a colorful, abstract paint job that could be a callback to the Microbus' hippie roots. VW also recently posted a new photo of the ID.Buzz to its commercial vehicles website. <div type="image" title="Volkswagen ID.Buzz." height="1406" width="1875" msid="87554570" hostid="261"></div>The near-production van retains some of the elements of the ID.Buzz concept like its slim headlights, stubby overall shape, and a front-end design that's a clear throwback to the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vw-microbus-launching-in-2022-will-have-big-updates-2018-1">classic Microbus</a>. But the van seen here gains side-view mirrors and door handles - things that are necessary for an actual production vehicle.<div type="image" title="VW ID Buzz concept" height="1494" width="1992" msid="87554573" hostid="261"></div>VW showed off the ID.Buzz in September in the form of a prototype vehicle built through a partnership with autonomous-driving startup Argo AI. (The two companies are <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vw-26-billion-investment-argoai-ford-first-vehicle-id-buzz-2020-6">teaming up</a> to eventually offer autonomous taxis and other services). But that vehicle had all sorts of sensors and gizmos attached to it. <div type="image" title="Volkswagen ID.Buzz Argo AI prototype." height="1366" width="2048" msid="87554576" hostid="261"></div>VW says it'll release more information about the ID.Buzz in early 2022. And it has said that the van will come to the US starting in 2023. Future ID.Buzz owners may not be able to follow the Grateful Dead on tour or take their van to Woodstock. But as the vanlife movement and <keyword id="11897958" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="electric-vehicles" source="Orion">electric vehicles</keyword> take off, the new Volkswagen bus may become a cultural staple in its own right.

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