PUBLISHER’S CORNER
Technology Can Change Everything
WRITTEN BY TONY CORPIN |
TONY@STNONLINE.COM T
oyota Motor Corporation President Akio Toyoda recently warned of a “once-in-a-century” upheaval threatening the auto industry’s survival. He was responding to the Japanese
government’s announcement last month that it wants manufacturers to stop building conventional cars by 2050. Tat might seem like a distant date, but China, the world’s largest automotive market, has already set a goal of one in five vehicles running on electric batteries by 2025. Closer to home, California set a goal of 5 million ZEVs
by 2030 and to build 250,000 electric charging stations. In May, New York expanded a state plan to increase electric vehicles to include commercial trucks and buses. Te school bus industry has now seen all major OEMs commit to the development and delivery of electric school buses over the next several years. Global transportation powerhouses are setting the stage for the change Toyoda voiced concern about. Blue Bird is currently working with electrification
partners ADOMANI and Electric Drivetrains, Inc., which was recently acquired by Cummins, Inc. Te school bus industry’s largest supplier of diesel engines, Cummins has been working on an electrification project for nearly two years, and that along with the EDI acquisition, is turning heads. In early 2017, a Cummins representative told industry professionals at the IC Bus Innovation Summit in Chicago that the cost of an electric school bus in 10 years is expected to be more in line with diesel. Speaking of IC Bus, parent company Navistar is working closely with its strategic partner, Volkswagen Truck and Bus, which was recently renamed as Traton Group, on the chargE electric school bus. Meanwhile, Daimler Trucks North America subsidiary Tomas Built Buses is developing its electrified Saf-T-Liner C2, nicknamed Jouley. Also, Type A manufacturers Trans Tech, Starcraft Bus and Collins Bus have partnered with Motiv Power Systems, and Micro Bird delivered its first electric bus this summer. Despite all of this movement, the initial purchase cost of electric remains the major factor that is deterring school districts and private fleet contractors from jumping on board a new drivetrain platform, especially if the purchase isn’t currently subsidized by state and federal funding. If government money is available today, will it be tomorrow? I believe the $2.95 billion Volkswagen Mitigation Trust Fund, which states will be using over the next
50 School Transportation News • SEPTEMBER 2018
decade to heavily target school bus replacements that are powered by a variety of fuel sources, might be the match to light the fuse of change. Many districts in California have been testing out school buses from Te Lion Electric Company. Recently at the STN EXPO, Tim Shannon, transportation director at Twin Rivers Unified School District near Sacramento, shared compelling data his team has culled from a fleet of 16 electric school buses, the largest such fleet to date in the nation. It shows 80 percent savings so far on fuel costs and a 72 percent reduction in maintenance costs. Tat pencils out to a ton of money over an average 12- year lifespan of a school bus. Te up-front investment in electric versus that of other drive systems might not be at a tipping point yet, but economies of scale are driving down battery costs and increasing charging options. Meanwhile, Toyota’s Toyoda also cited ride-sharing and driverless vehicles as troubling innovations for the traditional automotive industry. Companies like Uber and Lyft have already disrupted livery and taxi companies, rocking them to their core. Student rideshare services have typically focused on special education routes to improve efficiency and create savings. As if that wasn’t significant enough, new rideshare companies are now targeting parents and kids. Tey are focusing on regular education routes and field trips using parents in private vehicles. For example, the HopSkip- Drive app schedules rides, provides real-time updates and tracks the progress of a child’s ride. Will parents demand this level of service and accuracy
from the school transportation operators? Tey already do, but this technology comes at a price. Can public schools keep up with private industry? Tat’s a tough conversation to have. It needs to be
shared with your superintendent and school board, as the kids and parents are growing accustomed to the new paradigm of transportation service. Tese sorts of once-in-a-century technology shifts can change everything. Be sure you’re educated on these topics and poised for the future.
Tony Corpin, Publisher
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