school bus operators next month.) Vehicle charging and the infrastructure necessary to power it is a hot topic to say the least. Concurrently, school bus operators, vehicle manufacturers and charging companies are figuring out how to charge vehicles better, faster, cheaper, and with more convenience. Fleet managers must be adept at all the implications of managing their charging infrastructure. They must pay attention to its operation, maintenance, management, and the costs associated with it. Rachel Lane, the vice president of electrification and sustainability for Student Transportation of America, said it is important to know electric bus charging re- quirements and answers to key questions. Is the bus compatible with both AC and DC charging, or DC charging only? What is the max charge rating the bus can accept? Is the bus compatible with V2G or V2X charging? Has the bus manufacturer tested with (charging brand X) for compatibility. What chargers has the bus manufac- turer verified to be compatible with the bus? How long would the bus take to charge given its battery size and the rating of the charger that is selected? How will conditions on my routes impact the bus efficiency, and should I ad- just my charging plan based on these factors? Lane said she is an advocate of establishing a plan
with policy to accompany the charging requirements of electric school buses. “I would recommend establishing a plan for who is sup- porting both the bus and charger when there are issues
that occur,” she shared. “Who does the school transport- er call for hardware or software maintenance support? What is the recommended maintenance schedule? How does the bus manufacturer and charging manufacturer coordinate if one of the two parties issues a hardware or software upgrade that impacts the other?” An important part of electric vehicle charging is to
understand the engineering economics of charging and how it will affect school district purse strings. Lane recommended that school transporters make sure they understand how the selection of charging hardware and charge management software will impact their monthly electric bill. “Using chargers that provide more power than neces-
sary for the route can increase electric demand charges,” she observed. “Using chargers that are underpowered, and require a longer time to charge could require the buses to charge when kWh rates are at their highest. Make sure that the solution is optimized for not only the route needs, but also the electric rate structure and utilize charge management software to make changes as route requirements adjust.” Matt Kearns the school bus sales manager at DeVivo Bus
Sales, added that it’s imperative to work with the dealer or OEM to ensure that the charger and school bus are compatible. “For example, if the school bus operates on a 600-volt architecture and the DC charger you are looking to install can only charge up to 500 volts, then they would
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PHOTO COURTESY OF BENDIX
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