Iola’s school board members want a couple weeks to consider whether to upgrade to electric buses.
If they can actually buy one, though, will be a matter of chance.
Aaron Cole, transportation director, asked the school board on Monday if he should apply for a federal program that would pay all but $68,000 of the cost of two electric school buses. The Iola district qualifies for priority status this year, which reduces the cost, but buses will be awarded through a lottery.
If the district decides not to try for the buses, it’s unlikely they’ll qualify for such a deal in the future.
Without the program, an electric bus typically costs around $400,000. Compare that to the cost of one diesel bus at about $130,000; under this program, the district would get two electric buses for about half the cost of one diesel bus.
Board members aren’t sure if the district is ready to make the leap to electric.
They wanted more information, particularly about costs and maintenance, or to replace an expensive EV battery. They asked Cole to seek more information, including a comparison of expected costs and benefits of diesel and electric buses. They also asked him to contact other Kansas districts that have made the switch. He knew of only one, in Caney.
The Environmental Protection Agency is authorized by the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law to dole out a total of $5 billion to help school districts replace diesel buses with cleaner versions such as electric buses. The goal is to protect children from harmful air pollution and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Another round of funding was announced Monday, with nearly $1 billion to pay for 2,700 buses for more than 280 school districts nationwide. The agency already has allocated nearly $2 billion.
About 15 states have announced plans to mandate a switch to the cleaner models. Kansas is not one of them, but Cole said the program could prepare the district for that possibility in the future.
THE TOTAL cost of the two buses would be around $863,000. That includes a charging station that could allow the buses to charge overnight, as well as installation. The city would need to install a transformer that could handle the station. Blue Bird, manufacturer of electric school buses, said it costs about 14 cents a mile for a bus to recharge with electricity, compared with 49 cents per mile for a bus to refuel with diesel.
If approved, the EPA grant and other credits would cover $795,000 of the cost, leaving the district on the hook for about $68,000.
Because electric buses don’t use combustion engines, maintenance costs are typically lower with manufacturers estimating 85% lower maintenance costs, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Energy. The comparison of electric versus gasoline costs also tend to result in significant savings.
School bus maker Blue Bird said it costs an average of 14 cents a mile for a bus to recharge with electricity, compared with 49 cents per mile for a bus to refuel with diesel.
