Transit director seeks board OK to refurbish battery packs on electric bus; local match ~ $3,100

Josephine County's transit director told the board the county can restore one 2019 electric bus to partial service by replacing six of 12 battery packs at an estimated manufacturer cost just over $30,000 and a local match of roughly $3,100 under existing federal grant rules.

The director said engineers reported that replacing six packs would extend the bus's range to approximately 80 miles and make it usable for partial shifts; full replacement of all packs was quoted at about $70,000 and its longevity was uncertain. "We can replace 6 battery packs. It'll extend the range to 80 miles," the director told commissioners. He said about 89.75% of the cost is covered by the federal grant and that the local match obligation is about 10.27%, roughly $3,100. Commissioners and staff discussed safety and warranty concerns, the difficulty of local maintenance on high-voltage systems and the limited availability of manufacturer support for older models. The director said he preferred having the manufacturer perform the work rather than county maintenance due to liability and risk.

The chair indicated staff had permission to proceed without a formal roll call vote; the director said he will move forward with manufacturer refurbishment and apply the grant match from department funds. Staff will report any warranty or performance developments to the board.