In Illinois, repowers and repowering are both depre- ciable expenses on the annual transportation claim. In many cases, this means the school district will be reim- bursed at least half of its costs. It seems there’s a sweet spot for repowering: Buses early in mid-life yet not too old, and a model common in a given region so companies can do it efficiently and inexpensively. “The model years 2015-2017 seem to be the sweet spot to transform right now. Our goal is to deliver a perfect bus so you can’t tell the difference from new,” said So- chacki, while outlining MTE’s approach to repowering as more of a transformation. The math supports a healthy mix of new and repowered.
Advocacy & Support Leading ESB advocacy groups see value in repowers. The
World Resources Institute’s data-driven, equity-conscious Electric School Bus Initiative states: “The technology is compelling and worth including in programs.” WRI is cur- rently compiling an article on repowers. The equity-driven Alliance For Electric School Buses said it “is supportive of school bus stakeholders exploring repowers.” CALSTART plans to include repowers in its major upcoming report on ESBs. Jobs To Move America explicitly supports repowers. As repowering expands with portable kit models such one offered by SEA Electric, the practice can create clean ener-
gy jobs in local communities. Air quality standards are growing stricter in many
states, to where the costs of keeping diesel buses com- pliant are prohibitive. One dealer (in a non-mandated state) who has devoted their career to diesel buses stated it may be impossible to buy or sell them in a decade. Repowering diesel buses with electric drivetrains is new,
yet not new. It’s well proven in transit buses running year- round, often 12 hours a day, but new in school buses that run 180 days a year, about six hours a day. Some see risk in the repower path, but others see safety. With four states and a large Texas school district working on emission reduc- tion timelines, repowers have become sharply relevant. Muirhead stated, “The only way to meet our mandated deadline [to eliminate diesel school buses from New York fleets] is with a healthy mix of new and repowered ESBs.” The districts on the EPA’s Clean School Bus Program waitlist have viable repower options to consider. ●
Alison Wiley is founder of the Electric School Bus Newsletter and cofounder of Women Accelerating School Bus Electrification. Tim Farquer is the superintendent of Williamsfield Schools in Illinois and cofounder of the Bus To Grid Initiative. He expects to receive his first repowered ESB this spring.
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