He added that SLC has been operating the electric bus- es since last November, which has allowed the district to learn the bus characteristics through a complete winter season. “We found that since the bus is heated by a full electric system, it uses up to 18 percent of battery life when running all routes on high [setting],” Martinez said. “As for the chargers, they did not act any different during the winter season.” Martinez concluded by stating he thinks the upcom-
ing ride-and-drive event is a great opportunity provided at STN EXPO Reno. “It is allowing all of us in the school bus transportation business a chance to learn from ven- dors as well as others from real-life experience,” he said. Meanwhile, Neal Abramson, the director of transpor-
tation for Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District in Southern California, added that test driving any new fuel or energy-type vehicle before purchasing is rec- ommended, whether it be electric, CNG or propane. Abramson won’t be attending STN EXPO Reno this year, but he test drove an electric vehicle at his local dealer, A-Z Bus Sales, prior to the pandemic. “I don’t test drive every bus that I buy, but since this
was something so totally new, if you’ve never had an electric bus in your fleet, you should drive one,” he said, adding that he hasn’t purchased electric at this time due to the mountainous routes, the lack of extended range on the vehicles, and the fact that his school bus facility in Santa Monica is rented. “It’s just like if you’ve never had a propane bus in your fleet, you should drive one. When we got our first compressed natural gas bus 20 years ago, we drove one before we ordered.”
28 School Transportation News • JULY 2022
OEMs Provide Input During the Green Bus Summit, attendees will have the
opportunity to test drive electric school buses from Blue Bird, GreenPower, IC Bus and the Lion Electric Compa- ny. The Propane & Education Research Council (PERC) will also have a propane bus on site from Washoe Coun- ty School District available to test ride as well. Brian Alexander, the director of public relations for
Lion, said that because the Quebec-headquartered OEM focuses only on electric vehicles, there is a lot of myth busting to be accomplished at such events. “The three most common concerns are charging in-
frastructure, and with it energy management, range and obtaining grants which may be available for transition- ing to zero-emissions,” Alexander explained. “Which is why Lion helps assist customers directly with all of these topics. Customers usually aren’t sure what charging solution is best for them, how far the vehicles can go and what their final cost will be. “We are able to walk them through every step of the
process, selecting AC or DC charging (AC is typically sufficient for school buses), and we also offer three range options from 100 to 155 miles, as the battery is an expen- sive component, so a customer doesn’t necessarily need to buy the highest range for their routes. We also help them identify and apply for available public funding in their area. There are also questions around maintenance, which on electric vehicles is significantly less, along with high-voltage safety training which we also provide.” Alexander added that Lion’s philosophy is having a direct connection with its customers to help facilitate
PHOTO COURTESY OF PERC
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