Every year, there are more reasons to think about upgrading your bus fleet to electric buses. Their fuel and maintenance costs are far lower than internal-combustion engines, not to mention the health benefits. Investing today could pay off for many years to come.
However, it's a big change, which requires serious planning. Is your district ready to go electric? These are the biggest considerations.
What You Need When Upgrading to Electric Buses
1 - Infrastructure
Probably the biggest question is whether your area has enough public chargers to support your operation. Even with chargers installed on-campus, you'll undoubtedly need to top off the batteries in town from time to time. The US Department of Energy has a nice map to help find out.
You'll likely also want to consult with your local power company ahead of time, to ensure your campus receives enough electricity for the chargers.
2 - Funding
Buying new buses will be expensive, although there are numerous Federal and State-level programs to help fund them, through grants or rebates. Don't forget that you can also typically sell off your old buses for extra funding. Partnering with local businesses in exchange for promotional opportunities would be another option.
3 - Training
Both your drivers and your maintenance crew will need retraining on electric buses. For drivers, this shouldn't be a major problem - EVs aren't that much different from other buses. Your maintenance staff, on the other hand, will need time and resources to learn the new vehicles. Maintenance on EVs is easier than traditional buses, but there's a learning curve.
4 - Choosing Vehicles
Numerous companies, from Bluebird to BYD, now offer e-buses in North America, and often with very different feature sets. Take your time here, and choose your make/model(s) with an eye towards the future. You'll want to be able to rely on them for years to come, even as your district grows and changes.
5 - Contingency Plans
Finally, also keep emergencies in mind. What if a massive power outage hit the city, or over-demand reduced the power available from the grid? Have some backup plans in place so that bus operations can continue even if there's an issue with the power supply.
BusBoss is pro-electric and we want to help make your upgrades go easier. Click here to discuss your needs and the possibility of expert consulting services to streamline the changeover.
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PRESIDENT
Sonia has been involved with BusBoss since the late 1990’s, and has personally overseen many projects for various customers ranging from large urban and suburban districts to smaller rural school districts from all over the country.