“We believe all school vehicles should be zero emis-
sion. However, we understand climate, geography, politics, and economics will play a role in each market,” Voisard said. “We are focusing on the regions where electrification makes the most sense and are working toward other markets as factors change.” Currently, three Durham locations are heavily invested in
propane. For instance, its Waterbury, Connecticut location is 100-percent propane-powered. The Newton, Pennsyl- vania location will be completely propane-powered by the end of this year after a new order of 74 buses, and the Nor- walk, Connecticut location is 91 percent propane-powered. At Beacon, Griffiths said a 10-bus pilot of electric school buses went into service about a year ago in northern Massachusetts. “And we’ve had really good luck,” he explained, adding that there have also been lessons learned. “But we’re taking the data from that, and that’s helping us make better decisions.” Last year, Beacon looked at 19 sites in New England
and New York to determine where it can prioritize electrification, taking into consideration utilities, topog- raphy, routing, access and parking.
Now, Griffiths said, the company is looking at phase-two
and how that can be incorporated into a master plan. “That means we’re really evaluating all our facilities for things like utility and access and taking a more holistic approach strategically to think, Okay, where’s it advantageous for us? Where can we align with grant opportunities like [EPA] clean school bus, Clean Cities Coalitions, other state grants and federal grants to find out where it’s more advanta- geous to us, so we’re being as aggressive as possible and that’s just on the school bus side.” he explained. He noted that going electric is all about planning and
having the right people in the room. “Early on, you need to engage with your utilities. You really need to under- stand what power is available at what output, and at what locations and engage with them early,” he advised, noting that utilities could also have programs that help with electrification goals. The second part, he said, is operational planning. The
more data compiled, the better off districts or contractors will be. He advised looking at route analysis and dwell times. Plus, look at it from a driver training perspective and the impact it will have there.
Air Conditioning for School Buses(Type A, C & D) MFSAB & Activity Buses
• • •
• • •
•
Specify Trans/Air A/C system installed in your buses on your next purchase. A/C system installations available on buses ordered without A/C in your fleet.
Purchase A/C parts on-line for easy ordering – call or go online (
www.busacparts.com) to set up account today
Parts and components available for some hard-to-get competitors – call for details. Solutions for any driver or passenger cooling needs, contact us for an evaluation.
Regional Territory Managers can work with you on any of your requirements - see website
www.transairmfg.com
Service, Installation and support “partners” throughout United States and Canada.
www.transairmfg.com |
www.busacparts.com | (800) 673-2446
64 School Transportation News • JULY 2023 Trans
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