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Griffiths noted that parking is another huge piece of the puzzle, especially in terms of layout and what locations the electric school buses will be at. “All of these are data points now that we’re collecting allows us to make better decisions as we think about this strategically moving forward,” he said. Benish at Cook-Illinois noted that most in the industry want to do the right thing, especially when it comes to the safety of the children. He said


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in terms of emissions, his company’s first step continues to be using bio- diesel, as the tanks don’t need to be changed and neither do the engines. While propane does require infra- structure in terms of fueling tanks, he said it’s very economical and one of the easiest and closest options to achieving zero-emissions. “We definitely feel electric is going to be the future, there’s no doubt about that,” he concluded “I don’t think it’s going to go nearly as fast as people want or think it’s going to go because if you take away the subsi- dies, it’s really not affordable.” Smith at Suffolk added that the


company is focused on obtaining the grant dollars to grow the fleet. “We’re pushing forward to grow in the right direction,” he shared, adding that being one of the first in the market comes with its expected challenges. “We want to grow where we’re able to keep our operation running as best as it should be running four our cus- tomers.” He noted that the diesel buses on the market now are reliable vehicles and are running clean. He also shared that while Suffolk is excited about electric vehicles, it is working through challenges related to software and infrastructure. Gustavson added that Suffolk is aiming the business toward electric, but it doesn’t want to expand too fast, and the buses and/or char- gers are outdated in a year or two. Benish added that’s a concern he’s


heard as well. While attending STN EXPO Indianapolis in June, he shared that he was speaking with other con- tractors and, while everyone agrees the future is electric, there is concern about when to join the race. “Do I get in now? Or do I get it in


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three to five years from now?” he asked, adding that one of the biggest concerns is the life of the charger and whether or not it will need to be upgraded in five to seven years as technology changes. ●


66 School Transportation News • JULY 2023


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