School district refuses to go electric
Do electric school buses cost more?
Yes, they cost more to purchase than buses that run on gas or diesel.
Districts will also have to put in the infrastructure needed to charge electric buses. However, they cost less to operate and maintain, eventually making up for the higher overhead, according to NYSERDA. The savings could range from a few thousand dollars a year per bus to more than $10,000 a year per bus, according to NYSERDA. NYSERDA’s New York State Electric School Bus Road Map predicts that federal and state funding opportunities should be enough to cover the difference in cost between diesel or gas-powered school buses and electric ones through 2027.
What funding is available to help districts cover the cost?
● The New York Bus Incentive Program, which is run by NYSERDA, offers vouchers to cover 60-75% of the cost of an electric bus, more for priority districts, which are high need or serve disadvantaged communities. The program also offers vouchers to cover all or most of the cost of installing charging infrastructure. Voters approved $500 million for electric school buses in the Clean Air, Clean Water and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act of 2022.
● State transportation aid to school districts offsets transportation-related expenses, including the purchase of electric school buses and infrastructure.
● The New York Truck Voucher
Incentive Program will provide up to $220,000 toward the purchase of zero-emissions buses. And districts or bus contractors who quality could also get utility assistance through the Joint Utilities of New York Medium- and Heavy-Duty Electric Vehicle Make-Ready Pilot.
● The EPA Clean School Bus Program announced rebate awards worth almost $18.5 million for three contractors in New York City to buy 51 buses. And the EPA announced $69 million in grants for New York City and a district in western New York in January.
● $69 million in three grants to contractors and districts in New York City and western New York contractors to 20 New York school districts for 174 school buses in its first round of grants in October.
● The federal Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 included new tax credits for some electric school buses and charging stations.
How many electric school buses are already on the road?
There were 310 electric school buses in use in New York as of September, 2023 when NYSERDA produced its electric school bus roadmap. There are about 45,000 school buses in the state.
What are the projections for growth?
NYSERDA estimates that there will be up to 3,000 electric school buses in the state by 2027. The cost of transitioning that many buses will be about $780 million. NYSERDA’s goal is to see those buses distributed through as many districts as possible so that everyone gains some experience with electric buses before 2027.
Can electric buses drive far enough?
The average school bus drives 80 miles a day. Bus batteries last between 100 and 150 miles in Type A buses, which carry 16 to 20 passengers and for between 120 and 210 miles on Type C buses, which carry 60-72 passengers and have a “truck” front. Those are the two most common types of buses in the state.
Will districts be able to charge buses fast enough?
There are two types of charging stations. Level 2 chargers cost less, but charge slower, usually requiring six to 11 hours for a full charge. Level 3 chargers cost more and charge faster, usually needing between two and 4.5 hours for a complete charge. Outside of New York City, 96% of buses return to a depot at night where they have enough time to recharge fully with a Level 2 charger. And more than half of school buses have four or more hours of “dwell” time during the day when they could be partially recharged or fully with a Level 3 charger.