Island Explorer buses at Acadia National Park go electric [Video]

Providing cleaner transportation has been central to the Island Explorer buses that serve greater MDI and Acadia National Park since their launch 25 years ago.

Stephanie Clement is the vice president of conservation with the nonprofit Friends of Acadia and has been involved in helping implement the first eight buses in 1999.

“We started with propane fuel because that was the most environmentally sound fuel we had available at the time,” Clement said. “It’s really exciting to be able to advance beyond fossil fuels and to electrifying the fleet at this time.”

Friends of Acadia, the National Parks Service, and the state of Maine are slated to contribute another $7 million to the EV bus project, bringing the total funding to just over $30 million.

The Island Explorer system circulates 32 buses seven days a week from June …