Webinar: Overview for Electric School Bus Operators
April 10, 2024
The Joint Office of Energy and Transportation (Joint Office) hosted the first in a four-part series of webinars providing operators, technicians, and other school bus fleet members with a fundamental understanding of electric school bus technology on April 10, 2024. Presenters demonstrated basics on electric buses, standard operations, controls, and driving, and charging procedures and infrastructure.
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Panelists included:
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Albert Burleigh, Blue Bird Corporation
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Brandon Reid, Lion Electric
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Mark Richardson, Thomas Bus/Daimler Truck
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Ryan Frasier, Joint Office moderator
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Maurice Beard, ITLC moderator
Key Takeaways
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Benefits of Electric School Bus: zero emissions, reduced maintenance costs, quiet operation, grant funds available, outstanding performance, vehicle to grid technology.
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32% of school districts in the U.S. have state or local level directives to begin their transition to electric school buses as of November 2023
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EPA Clean School Bus Funding Rebates can be used to purchase Charging Infrastructure in addition to an EV school bus
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By modulating the accelerator pedal, a driver can effectively slow the bus down without touching the brake pedal. Regenerative braking can elongate the service life of braking systems if the system is maintained correctly.
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Follow the five-step charging procedure to ensure safe charging.
Resources