Coming soon to Austin ISD in Texas, construction is expected to begin on adding electric charging infrastructure, which will transform this area of the parking lot.
more concrete cost information that will help in deter- mining necessary funding,” Kresge explained. A district might install steel ground panels that can be lifted to more easily update charging infrastructure in the future, Kresge said. And he emphasized that it’s important not to cut corners on what’s protecting the chargers. “Make sure you have bollards installed so no one hits the charger,” Kresge said. He also noted cable man- agement systems or retractors, cords similar to those on service station gas pumps that retract if the charger is dropped, preventing it from hitting the ground or getting pulled out with a departing bus that was not properly unplugged. “When you’re future-proofing any charger, whether
Level 2 or DC fast-charging, it’s extremely important to include cable management,” Kresge said. “One drop of the handle could damage the pins and that charger is out.” Meanwhile, Kim Crabtree, transportation director of
Bend-LaPine School District in Oregon, talked to offi- cials at multiple other districts about their experiences in preparation for her operation receiving its first electric bus. Among the key concerns: making sure the bus would function in the local cold winter climate and on rural mountainous roads. Earlier this winter, the first electric bus was delivered. “It’s a bit of an experiment from my perspective,”
DEEP IN THE HEART Austin Independent School District in Texas is
preparing for its first electric buses this fall, and the district has resolved to go all-electric by 2035, the first in the state to make such a proclamation. Kris Hafezizadeh, executive director of transporta- tion and vehicle services, noted that Austin ISD is “fully modernizing” one of its bus terminals thanks to a bond issuance, so it can add charging infra- structure as part of the upgrade. “I highly recommend if anyone is thinking about buying two to three [electric buses], you might as well do the groundwork from the beginning to get you ready if you choose to get more in the future,” Hafezizadeh said. If Austin ISD gets more than three electric bus- es, the district needs to work with city officials to make sure the grid is adequate, he added. And officials need to plan for situations like major ice storms that have hit in recent years, knocking out power for days. “The bottom line for the school bus industry is
parents want to make sure their child gets to and from school safely,” Hafezizadeh said. “Electric its fantastic. I’m all in. But we have to make sure we accomplish that mission first. If a kid doesn’t get to school, that’s not going to be good.”
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