The Logan-Magnolia school district in Iowa didn’t let fear of the future and federal funding stop it from getting five electric school buses to do their part in saving the world from fossil-fuel pollution:
It’s because of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s “Clean School Bus Program” funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of 2021. It earmarks $5 billion over five years for the program from fiscal year 2022 through 2026.
The program aims to replace dated diesel school buses, 10 years or older, with zero-emission and low-emission models. Since the program launched last year, more than 2,300 school buses across the country are set to be replaced.
…In exchange for the free electric buses and charging stations, the district had to decommission five outdated diesel buses. The federal government paid for the buses and charging hookups. MidAmerican Energy Company paid for the necessary electric work [Bella Caracta, “Iowa School District Rolls Out Electric Buses as Part of EPA Program,” KSFY, 2023.12.21].
The buses appear to be running just fine:
So far, the drivers said they come back with a 75% charge following their bus routes, hills have not been a problem. And it’s diesel buses that pose a challenge in the cold, winter months, said Hinkle. These electric ones are stored and charged inside [Caracta, 2023.12.21].
…and saving the district money:
The buses and batteries are expected to last eight years. After that, the district can decide what type of buses they want to replace them with. In the meantime, based on last year’s fuel costs, the superintendent estimates these electric buses will save the district $30,000 in that department [Caracta, 2023.12.21].
And don’t forget: getting rid of diesel buses means getting rid of diesel fumes, which means boosting kids’ health and academic performance.
The EPA says Iowa has received $13,565,000 in Clean School Bus Program to put 34 electric school buses, three propane buses, and one compressed natural gas bus on the road. The EPA says it has awarded $2,810,000 to South Dakota school districts in 2022 to put eight new clean buses on routes in South Dakota. Garretson got three electric buses, Hanson one electric bus, DeSmet one electric bus, Lower Brule Day School one electric bus, and Viborg-Hurley one electric bus and one CNG bus. Minnesota has only taken $1,185,000 from the EPA to deploy three electric buses, but the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is encouraging electric bus adoption with its own grant fund.
IIRC, Lennox recently replaced all of its gas- and diesel-powered buses with propane burners. Pre-pandemic maybe??
Electric does not mean cleaner.
I guarantee you these buses will not last very long and will prove to be a burden on the school district.
Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!
Gotta walk before you can run.
https://www.ksfr.org/education/2023-12-19/state-looking-to-help-new-mexico-school-districts-transition-to-electric-busses
Electric busses will work just fine and are the wave of the future especially when the cost comes down as mass production lowers the initial costs. Ask anyone who has regularly used both gas golf carts and electric/battery carts. Hands down golfers will choose electric carts. Diesel busses are a major pain in the neck in the winter months with the need for #1 diesel which is more expensive and gets much worse mileage as well as the necessity to overnight park them by an electrical outlet.
LCJ is that raging man behind the curtain that you can ignore.
Here’s the story on the magic school bus. Kids love them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwhfZvTmCqI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QKfqt2IRTA
Expect South Dakota will be among the last states to adopt e-school buses, further putting the state and its children behind.
City with 16,000 electric buses and 20,000 electric taxis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0P7fTPLSMeI
Ahh, if only to be as erudite as a trumper and be able to ‘guarantee’ as does L C
LCJ
“The Long View: Electric Cars Are Cleaner Than Gas Cars. Period.”
https://www.forbes.com/wheels/news/electric-cars-cleaner-than-gas-cars/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CThe%20potential%20of%20electric%20cars%20to%20mitigate%20CO%E2%82%82,petrol%20%5Bgas%5D%20cars%20today%2C%E2%80%9D%20the%202020%20report%20said.
LCJ, on what evidence is your “guarantee” based? John and DaveFN are outdoing you so far on evidence.
𝓗𝓐𝓟𝓟𝓨 𝓗𝓞𝓛𝓘𝓓𝓐𝓨𝓢, 𝓰𝓸𝓸𝓭 𝓯𝓻𝓲𝓮𝓷𝓭𝓼 ~ 😊 “𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗷𝗼𝘆“
And also to you, P.
Could probably replace some diesels up here with electric but would need to keep some diesels for long haul school events.
According to this recent article from Vermont, their electric busses had terrible range in cold weather:
https://vermontdailychronicle.com/new-electric-school-buses-lose-up-to-80-range-in-winter/
P!!! Missed you. Merry Christmas, everybody. Eat some joy and drink some love. Hug your people tight. And dream of peace.
“Another key finding from the VEIC report was that the EV buses require additional heating sources – including carbon-intensive diesel-fired heaters.”
What the…
There simply is no replacement for diesel yet in large equipment without major behavioral changes. Will need shared EV bus outposts every 100 miles where kids swap busses hopscotching across the state.
In horrible states like South Dakota where electricity comes from coal, natural gas, Earth killing dams and eyesores like wind turbines why not burn diesel in school buses?
Great point, Lar.
Kids like riding in diesel buses, too. They really do.
Larry, where does electricity come from in the unhorrible states?
Larry, have a bit of eggnog, possibly your spirits will improve.
LCJ, I was born at night — but it wasn’t LAST night! Sheesh!
Here’s one you probably missed while reading that famous book:
Genesis 2:15 —
“The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”
You’re so very special, Ed.
“According to the World Resources Institute, the number of electric school buses operating or delivered in the United States more than doubled—from 598 in 2022 to 1,285 through June 2023—all driven to serve school children while providing cleaner air in 40 states.
Looking into the near future, the number of electric school buses that were already funded or on-order nearly tripled, and were spread across districts located in 49 states.
The emissions-free buses are found in 914 U.S. school districts and private fleet operators, according to the evidence-based nonprofit’s report published in September, 2023: State of Electric School Bus Adoption in the US.”
Orders for e-buses more than tripled in the past year.
https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/number-of-electric-school-buses-more-than-doubled-in-the-us-in-2022-23/
Hawaii mothballed its last coal plant for a huge battery. Follow the money.
https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/energy-storage/a-huge-battery-has-replaced-hawaiis-last-coal-plant
We await this present cold snap in Texas as to whether Abbot and his Texans learned ANYTHING from their last cold grid debacle.
Oh, and glance here at what exponential growth looks like.
The US electrical grid battery fleet is about to double . . . again. (Despite the Luddite’s whining that the industry lacks the materials and resources.)
https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/energy-storage/chart-the-us-grid-battery-fleet-is-about-to-double-again
The SD legislature ought to support state Senator Tobin in killing the Gregory County pumped storage scheme and remove the idea from the state’s priority of water /energy development.