Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Central Consolidated Board Weighs State Electric School-bus Pilot, Approves Short-term Deployment
Summary
Green Power Motor Company outlined a state-funded two-year pilot to rotate three all-electric Type A school buses among districts; the board discussed infrastructure limits, cold-weather range reductions and liability, and received a schedule announcing arrival and training dates for a local deployment in mid-November.
Mark Neslin, representing Green Power Motor Company, told the Central Consolidated Schools board that New Mexico—s two-year, state-funded pilot will place three purpose-built, all-electric Type A school buses on six-week rotations among participating districts. Neslin said the state owns the buses, will insure and license them, and will provide accompanying Level 2 charging equipment and on-site installer support for the trial period.
The presentation, prompted by board member questions about cost and reliability, described vehicle capabilities: the Type A buses use a 114-kilowatt battery pack (two battery packs per vehicle) and the larger Type D model carries up to 387 kWh and 12 battery packs. Neslin warned that certified range is about 140 miles on a full charge but recommended planning routes of 80–90 miles and noted as much as a 30% range reduction in cold weather because heating draws substantial power.
Board members pressed on who would pay for infrastructure upgrades, training and insurance. Neslin said the state covers the bus purchase, insurance and driver training during the pilot; the district would be responsible only for the electricity consumed while the bus is on its route. He added that the legislature funded the pilot and that the state had committed an additional $15 million for future bus purchases based on pilot findings.
Vice President Wells and other board members asked whether the pilot was being "solicited" or mandatory; Neslin and district staff clarified participation was voluntary and that Central Consolidated had applied and been selected for the second round. Some trustees voiced concerns about local electrical capacity, transformer upgrades and competing capital needs; others argued the pilot would provide data to judge feasibility in rural communities.
Neslin said the district—s trial bus would arrive Friday, Nov. 14, with driver, mechanic and first-responder training on Monday, Nov. 17, and the bus beginning morning routes on Tuesday, Nov. 18. The district will keep the bus through Jan. 16 to cover the Christmas period. Neslin offered to attend follow-up meetings and a post-deployment roundtable with district staff to produce a report for the state.
The board requested a written, itemized report ensuring no operational or training costs would be incurred by the district during the pilot and asked that a full-cost accounting be provided after the trial.
