By Adria @Adobe Stock
Those Million Dollar Babies
In New York, there are a number of state legislators now calling for the repeal of the state’s electric school bus mandate. Looking to fulfill an all-electric fleet by 2035, new purchases starting in 2027 must be all-electric, reports James Freeman in the WSJ:
From Andrew Donovan, WSYR-TV in Syracuse (ABC affiliate):
The superintendent of the Onondaga Central School District says he got “sticker shock” when learning what it would cost his district to buy four electric school buses this year instead of the non-electric models.
Every year, the district replaces three or four buses in its fleet, totaling about $500,000.
“If we had to purchase four new buses this year that were electric, it’s going to be about a million dollars more,” said Superintendent Rob Price.
Take the Long Way Home
Some routes make Onondaga Central bus drivers traverse 150 miles per day, more than what Price expects will come from a single charge.
Pots of OPM
As Republicans try to take down the looming mandate, the Albany Times Union defends:
It’s true that right now, an electric bus costs much more than a traditional diesel-powered bus. But both the federal and state governments are offering pots of money that can help districts with the costs of the vehicles and the infrastructure they require. The state has set aside $500 million for school districts to tap through the $4.2 billion Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act of 2022.
The federal government put forth $58 million in just its first round of funding through the Clean School Bus Program, part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Other assistance is also available.
Acknowledging that electric buses lose range in cold weather, [the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority] recommends that “while the technology around electric school buses develops, fleet operators can focus on more efficient routes” first and wait to upgrade their longer-route buses once cold-weather battery performance improves.
Taxpayers may not find this argument compelling, suggests Mr. Freeman:
Waiting for a technology to develop before making it mandatory would seem to be a sensible approach. Hundreds of miles to the northeast on Canada’s Prince Edward Island, there may be a touch of virtue signaler’s remorse.
Wayne Thibodeau reports for CBC News:
Three years ago, the P.E.I. government rolled out its new electric school buses with much fanfare.
When Stupidity Rules
Now some drivers say the buses are plagued with problems… Robert Geiss, president of CUPE Local 1145, which represents school bus drivers on the Island, says he believes the provincial government rushed into buying the new buses — and now students and drivers are paying the price.
How Safe Is That
He said the biggest problems are with the heating systems, leaving some buses icy cold and leading to windows fogging and freezing up. There also are issues with air compressors freezing, which can interfere with braking, Geiss said during an interview with CBC News.
At No Cost. Really?
In Maine, several school districts, including those in Winthrop, Bingham, Mount Desert Island and Yarmouth, “received the electric-powered buses at no cost through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program, which aims to make 75% of the public school bus fleet electric by 2035.”
According to the Portland Press Herald, the districts agreed to turn in one diesel-powered bus for each electric bus received.”
