All battery/electric bus fleet
On Thursdays Wichita KS will convert it's bus fleet to all battery/electric bus fleet. With set routes and know range I think this is a wise use of a electric vehicle.
Forum Discussion
JRscooby wrote:
I would thing school buses would be a good fit. Charge overnight, then if needed, some charge in the daytime between runs. Maybe solar on the roof of bus to do a little daytime charge?
Electric school buses are already on the market. With a 155 kwh battery they might offer enough range for typical school district usage. When I drove bus many years ago a typical bus would do about 7 or 8 runs a day, with a total distance of 80-100 miles per day. The claimed 120 mile range would work on a good day, but during cold, rainy weather power use would climb. There's a couple hours of down time during the day where buses could get a little "bump" to their batteries. A 200 kwh battery might give enough range to make the buses a little more practical. Upgrading the electrical systems at the bus barns would be a significant expense that school districts might be reluctant to invest in.
