It’s a nice little reward to the unions and helps save us from the climate crisis (scam)
U.S. School Buses May Never Be The Same Thanks to Biden’s Infrastructure Plan
Assembly line workers at the Thomas Built school bus factory in High Point, North Carolina are over the moon about the new infrastructure bill—specifically Title XI, Section 71101. Buried deep in the 2,702-page document approved by the House last week, that line item allocates federal funds to help localities purchase brand-new battery-powered school buses. That’s good news for Thomas Built, a subsidiary of German auto giant Daimler that controls nearly 40% of the North American school bus market. And for Chris Pratt, president of the local United Auto Workers chapter and a 22-year veteran welder at the Thomas Built plant, the legislation means one thing: more jobs. “We’re all excited,” Pratt says. “This is something huge for us.”
The school bus provision accounts for a comparatively tiny $5 billion within the $1.2 trillion bill now awaiting the President’s signature. But for workers like those in High Point, and campaigners advocating to get rid of diesel fumes on childrens’ commutes, this new federal funding represents a turning point in a surprisingly significant industry that will affect communities across the country.
The U.S.’s approximately 500,000 school buses comprise the country’s largest public transportation network, moving 26 million children between school and home every day. That’s more than four times the New York City subway’s daily ridership ,all picked up and dropped off at farm houses, suburban developments, and city apartment blocks from Idaho to Alaska. About 95% of those buses run on diesel, accounting for more than 5 million tons of yearly greenhouse gas emissions, and exposure to their exhaust fumes have been linked to lower test scores and worse respiratory health for children, whose developing lungs are more susceptible to irritation caused by the fine particulates bus engines generate. Inside those buses, especially idling in traffic or in pickup lots, children often breathe the most polluted air they experience all day.
Look, this is not necessarily a bad idea, because, school buses are pretty polluting, and I’m not referring to CO2. You know the smell when you drive behind one, and, that gets in the bus, too. And, after some more “climate justice” stuff, we see “as far as big, gas-guzzling vehicles go, electrifying school buses would be relatively easy, since they only need limited range, and have plenty of time to charge up during the school day or at night.”
But, see, then reality hits
(NJ.com) But a major hurdle for cash strapped school districts is the high price of going electric. A full-sized 40-foot electric school bus can cost $230,000 to $400,000 per vehicle, two to almost four times the cost of a $110,000 diesel-powered school bus.
Whoops?
The Four Most Common Drawbacks of Electric School Buses and What You Can Do About Them
…. (under #1, which is high purchase price)
After the initial purchase, districts can expect to save dividends on their operating costs through the life of the bus in the form of fuel savings and lower maintenance costs. In fact, although fueling and charging costs ebb and flow, recent reports are showing electricity can be around 60 percent lower than diesel costs. And, because electric school bus motors have fewer moving parts, maintenance is dramatically reduced, with the largest maintenance expense being battery replacement. On average, an electric school bus could save schools nearly $2,000 a year in fuel and $4,400 a year in maintenance costs.
Let’s do the math: it would take over 17 years to even out when comparing a diesel bus cost to an electric one that costs twice as much. You can do the math for 3 and 4 times. And the average lifespan of a school bus is 12 years.
But, then, you also have to spend the money on the charging infrastructure (drawback #2), driver and technician training (#3), and battery range (#4), which is around 100 miles. How will that work in hot and cold areas? And, then, don’t forget, you need all new firefighting material for EV fires. If the cost for the buses was even just 50% more, it’d be worth it. Joe has some of your tax money to spread around.
BTW, where’s all the energy for the buses coming from?
Read: Brandon’s Infrastructure Plan Includes A Lot Of Money For Electric Buses »
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