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District pilot of electric school bus achieved about 42 miles on local routes; charging time, cost and depot capacity raise questions
Summary
A loaned electric bus tested on Fayetteville-Manlius routes completed roughly 42 miles on cold-weather runs before depleting its charge; district staff flagged long charging times, required fast-charging infrastructure and $552,000 vehicle costs as barriers to near-term purchases.
FAYETTEVILLE, N.Y. — The Fayetteville-Manlius Central School District conducted a short pilot of a loaned electric school bus and reported results and operational concerns to the Board of Education on March 10.
District facilities staff arranged for a vendor to provide a demonstration bus that was driven on local routes for more than a week. Facilities Committee members said the vehicle completed morning runs of roughly 42–45 miles before the battery reached a low state of charge; in cold-weather conditions the bus’s passenger compartment remained chilly on the completed route, and recharging on the district’s trickle charger required many hours (staff indicated roughly 22 hours to full charge after a depleted…
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